A new report released just last week has ranked Maryland among the states with the strongest laws against drunk driving.
This report comes less than two months after Noah’s Law went into effect in Maryland and at the beginning of the holiday season, where shopping traffic creates more congestion on highways and in both downtown and suburban areas.
The report ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia with a 5-star system based on:
- whether the jurisdictions require all offenders, including those convicted of a first-time offense, to install an interlock ignition device on their vehicles
- the amount of high-profile law enforcement efforts against drunken driving, such as sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols
- whether the jurisdictions immediately suspend licenses or otherwise restrict driving privileges following a DUI arrest
- penalties for drivers who refuse to submit to a breath test
- whether the jurisdictions impose additional penalties on drunk drivers who had a child in the car with them at the time
The top 4 states in the report, released by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, are Mississippi, West Virginia, Arizona and Maryland with the toughest standards. The bottom 5 states include Montana, Michigan, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has become a popular drinking holiday, especially among college students going home for Thanksgiving, being commonly referred to as “Drinksgiving” or “Blackout Wednesday” because of the heavy barhopping that occurs.
Drunk driving is a serious offense with serious consequences and it happens somewhere every day. If you or someone you know is facing DUI charges, the most important thing you can do is hire the right attorney. Call or contact our experienced Maryland DUI lawyers at Alpert Schreyer. You need someone who understands Maryland DUI law to represent you in court and fight for the best result you can get in your case. Don’t wait…call us now at (301) 708-0819 for your FREE consultation.