Maryland honors those who lost their lives as a result of drunk driving

At Monday’s 19th annual Maryland Remembers ceremony, Governor Larry Hogan stood with families to remember those who lost their lives as a result of drunk driving.

“Heartbreak may have brought all of you here. But hope is what brings us together year after year,” Hogan said. “The hope (is) that by standing up and speaking out and sharing your stories, more drivers will choose not to drive impaired, and more families will be saved from suffering another preventable tragedy.”

Over 2,800 individuals were injured in 2021 as a result of drunk driving on Maryland’s roads, killing 173 people.

Hogan claimed that Maryland is making every effort to lower those figures.

Hogan also mentioned the amendment to Noah’s Law that “requires ignition interlock systems that are outfitted with a camera to guarantee compliance,” adding that “with your help, we enacted Noah’s Law to mandate ignition interlock devices for anyone convicted of drunk driving in Maryland.”

Additionally, in 2021, approximately 15,430 persons were detained for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

The Drunk Driving Offenders Act will continue to be beneficial, according to Hogan.

“To increase the maximum prison term for repeat drunk and drugged drivers with prior convictions from five years to ten years,” Hogan stated. “To increase the jail penalty for those guilty of vehicular homicide while under the influence from three years to five years.”

The holiday season is a peak time for drunk driving.

Hogan announced that the Highway Safety Office received a grant in collaboration with the Governor’s Highway Safety Association to offer $10 and Lyft ride-share credits to Marylanders across the state through the New Year holiday to help them get home safely instead of driving under the influence. From Thanksgiving through the New Year’s holiday, more than 1,600 people were arrested in Maryland for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.