Personal Injury Accident News:

Maryland DUI Law

For one of every 120 miles driven in Maryland in 1999, a person with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) >.08 sat behind the wheel. Police in Maryland reported 7,873 crashes involving a driver or pedestrian with a BAC of .01 or more. Formulas developed by NHTSA were used to estimate the number of alcohol-related crashes where alcohol involvement was not reported by the police. An estimated total of 37,300 crashes in Maryland involved alcohol. These crashes killed 202 and injured an estimated 13,600 people.

Impaired Driving by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

In 1999, Maryland drivers with:

• BACs of .10 and above were involved in an estimated 35,500 crashes that killed 140 and injured 11,900
• BACs between .08-.09 were involved in an estimated 600 crashes that killed 18 and injured 500
• Positive BACs below .08 were involved in an estimated 1,200 crashes that killed 44 and injured 1,200

Administrative License Revocation:
Laws that allow police or driver licensing authorities to revoke a driver’s license swiftly and automatically for refusing or failing a BAC test have reduced alcohol-related fatalities by 6.5% on average and saved an estimated $52,100 per driver sanctioned. The value of the driver’s lost mobility is the large majority of the estimated $2,600 cost per driver sanctioned. Reinstatement fees assessed to offenders typically cover start-up and operating costs.

Zero Tolerance Law:
Laws like Maryland’s that make it illegal for persons under 21 to drive with a positive BAC have reduced impaired-driving fatalities by 4% on average. Per licensed youth driver, this law costs approximately $30 and yields net savings of $700. Medical care cost savings alone exceed the intervention cost. The primary cost is the value of mobility lost by youth who are forced to reduce their drinking or driving.

.08 BAC Law:
A well-publicized State law lowering driver BAC limits to .08 can potentially reduce alcohol-related fatalities by an average of 7%. On average, Maryland’s .08 law saves an estimated $40 per licensed driver. The value of mobility losses and alcohol sales reductions resulting from the law are the large majority of the estimated $2.80 cost per licensed driver.

Intensive Sobriety Checkpoint Program:
Intensive enforcement of Maryland State BAC limits with highly visible sobriety checkpoints reduce alcohol-related fatalities by at least 15% and save approximately $60,200 per checkpoint. Including police resources, costs of travel delay and the value of mobility losses by impaired drivers apprehended and sanctioned, the costs of conducting a checkpoint average about $8,500.

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