Question

Identify Maryland state of residents and how Maryland state defines blood alcohol concentration level. What is the law for a first time DUI offense in Maryland state and what is the current documented DUI fatality rate in Maryland state.

Answer 1

• Drinking and driving is illegal in Maryland, as it is in every state. No one intends to hurt anyone when they drink and drive, yet every 58 hours a person in Maryland is killed by a drunk driver.

• The Maryland Transportation Code contains the DUI and DWI laws and penalties. The law includes BAC limits, administrative license suspensions, Ignition Interlock Device (IID) requirements, and more.

• Penalties, even for a first-time DUI offender, are strict, and can include license suspension, thousands of dollars in fines, and jail time.

• The penalties for a DUI or DWI will vary based on the number of prior offenses (within five years of current offense) and the circumstances, including whether or not children where in the vehicle. First offense includes a jail for upto one year and a fine of upto $1000. And for lower criminal penalties first offense jail is upto 2 months and fine of upto $550.

• In Maryland, a blood alcohol content of more than .08 automatically results in a driving under the influence (DUI) charge if you are 21 years of age or older. A blood alcohol content of more than .07 usually results in a driving while impaired (DWI) charge.Typically, a blood alcohol content, or BAC, of .05 or less should result in a driver 21 or older being let go, but an arrest for DWI and other charges may result.

• Preliminary data collected by Maryland Department of transportation indicates that in 2016, 523 people died in traffic crashes on the state’s roads, up from the 521 who died in 2015. In Maryland, as in the rest of the US, drunk driving is the single largest cause of motor vehicle related fatalities and accounts for an alarmingly high 40% to 50% of the total number of motor vehicle related deaths every year.