Is it true Maryland has among the weakest drunk driving laws in the US?

[Anonymous]

That claims being made by the police according to this WaPo article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/an-officers-preventable-death/2015/12/13/8c28acde-a056-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html

If so, that's kinda frightening as we get close to New Years'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That claims being made by the police according to this WaPo article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/an-officers-preventable-death/2015/12/13/8c28acde-a056-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html

If so, that's kinda frightening as we get close to New Years'.

Not really. MD gets 4 stars out of 5 from MADD. NJ gets 2 DE, WV and VA get 5. DC gets a 3.

http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/state-stats/

[Anonymous]

The real threat these days is texting and driving. Those laws need to be as harsh or harsher than drunk driving laws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real threat these days is texting and driving. Those laws need to be as harsh or harsher than drunk driving laws.

Why isn't anything being done about it then? You can't drive to work and not see it everywhere you look!

[Anonymous]

In Wisconsin, your first DWI isn't even a crime, it's a misdemeanor, nothing more. Only state in the nation like that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That claims being made by the police according to this WaPo article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/an-officers-preventable-death/2015/12/13/8c28acde-a056-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html

If so, that's kinda frightening as we get close to New Years'.

Not really. MD gets 4 stars out of 5 from MADD. NJ gets 2 DE, WV and VA get 5. DC gets a 3.

http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/state-stats/

So you are claiming the police and the WaPo are wrong about MD's DWI laws?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real threat these days is texting and driving. Those laws need to be as harsh or harsher than drunk driving laws.

Why isn't anything being done about it then? You can't drive to work and not see it everywhere you look!

They are trying but state legislators are blocking many bills to make it a primary offense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That claims being made by the police according to this WaPo article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/an-officers-preventable-death/2015/12/13/8c28acde-a056-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html

If so, that's kinda frightening as we get close to New Years'.

Not really. MD gets 4 stars out of 5 from MADD. NJ gets 2 DE, WV and VA get 5. DC gets a 3.

http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/state-stats/

So you are claiming the police and the WaPo are wrong about MD's DWI laws?

No, MADD is claiming it. Read the link, idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real threat these days is texting and driving. Those laws need to be as harsh or harsher than drunk driving laws.

The real threat to Noah Leotta was an (allegedly) drunk driver.

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Funeral-Services-Scheduled-for-County-Police-Officer-Noah-Leotta/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real threat these days is texting and driving. Those laws need to be as harsh or harsher than drunk driving laws.

Why isn't anything being done about it then? You can't drive to work and not see it everywhere you look!

They do, and then people get mad it slows down traffic and makes them late for work (read the comments):
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Montgomery-County-Police-Nab-Districted-Drivers-on-River-Road-Tuesday/

I have seen it in Bethesda on Wisconsin Avenue at rush hour, but just one cop. He'll park by a side street and he is basically busy full time writing up people for phone usage or no seatbelt (mostly the phone thing). If it takes him 6 minutes to write a ticket, that's only 10 nabbed per hour.

[Anonymous]

Part of the issue is that VA scores a 5; drunk drivers are not tolerated and VA also has officers patrolling all the time for traffic offenses.

I live in MD, but am a native of the non-NOVA Virginia. Have been appalled at the lack of enforcement I see in MD; sadly, when the officers tried up enforcement, that young man was killed.

Am hoping this will be the tragic accident that will push MD policing over the edge and have all the police enforce traffic laws and pull drivers over constantly, like they do in VA. That's how people learn not to even bother drunk driving--a speed camera does do not accomplish that.

I live in outer Silver Spring, near Rockville, and see little to no traffic enforcement when I drive around home or when I drive on Rockville Pike.

[Anonymous]

It's not the police who are t doing their job. They do. But the state's attorneys and judges don't prosecute as harshly as they probably should. And we don't have a felony dui law, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real threat these days is texting and driving. Those laws need to be as harsh or harsher than drunk driving laws.

The real threat to Noah Leotta was an (allegedly) drunk driver.

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Funeral-Services-Scheduled-for-County-Police-Officer-Noah-Leotta/

Many kids learn from their parents about drinking and driving. That's why I don't drink and drive. Period.

[Anonymous]

I am not trying to be flip, but is drunk/drugged driving still a big issue with teens? It was a huge issue when I was growing up, but that was a vastly different time and I kind of operate under the assumption that it is no longer peer accepted. Kind of like smoking, other teens look down upon it viciously.

[Anonymous]

Wisconsin for sure. They have a state Tavern Association that lobbies hard against regulations.