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Too many Marylanders have lost their lives because of someone else
who made the decision to drive while impaired by either drugs or alcohol.
Last year in Maryland alone we lost 152 of our neighbors
and as a member of the General Assembly on Judiciary Committee
now serving as the Honorary Chair of the Impaired Driving Coalition.
I have certainly learned a lot more about
the challenges that we face as a state,
the challenges in Maryland regarding impaired driving.
It’s a public health issue,
it’s a highway safety priority and it’s a crime.
The number of arrests, we arrest 68 people a day
because of driving under the influence.
So it’s a major challenge and I want you
to know again that Governor O’Malley
and I are committed to working with you
to fighting impaired driving
and that means that we are getting tough.
Let me just take a moment to applaud
the good work of Neil Pedersen
at the State Highway Administration
who chaired the taskforce
to combat driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Neil is a consummate professional,
an Administrator, someone who is passionate
and really dives into every assignment that he is given
and under his leadership
the taskforce comprised of experts
from different branches, different fields
put a lot of time and attention
into studying, researching, analyzing our laws in Maryland
and made a number of recommendations
building on the strengths,
where they exist and offering recommendations
of how we can stiffen our laws.
It’s because of Neil’s leadership and
the work of the taskforce that we have one
of the nation’s lowest DUI death rates.
In fact in 2008, last year,
the number of DUI fatalities fell 15%
over the previous year.
But, still that’s 152 of our neighbors
who lost their lives last year
and that is just 152 too many.
During this year’s legislative session
with the help of members
from both parties in the general assembly we passed significant reforms
to Maryland’s impaired driving laws.
Reforms that will go along way
to making our highways safer and providing us with some of the strictest
highway safety laws in America.
In the past, impaired drivers were able
to receive a Probation Before Judgment (PBJ)
once every 5 years, if they were charged
with a Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
That’s too often and it’s too easy on repeat offenders,
so we’ve extended the time frame to
allow a PBJ only once every 10 years.
And a driver convicted twice in a 5 year period
for Driving Under the Influence
will face a one year automatic license suspension.
We’re also putting young drivers on notice.
If your driving under the age of 21
you can now be charged with both possession
and consumption of alcohol.
If you are of age and buy alcohol for a minor
you should be prepared to pay heavy fines
and serve time behind that fence
and those bars.
These new laws set the stage
for real changes in our state.
Changes that we believe will save lives.
I want to thank once again all of our partners in government,
in the advocacy group, in law enforcement.
Again, I want to thank the media for helping us educate our residents.
With a little more work
I’m hopeful for the day in Maryland that I can announce
that no one died because someone
else decided to drink and drive.
Thank you very much.