MD Troopers Target Impaired Drivers On 3 Highways Labor Day Weekend

PIKESVILLE, MD — Maryland state troopers will be keeping an eye out for impaired, distracted and aggressive drivers this Labor Day weekend, with a focus on three major highways.

Residents who plan to celebrate the holiday with alcohol run the risk of facing a saturation patrol run daily through Sept. 5 by Maryland State Police at each of the 23 barracks. The patrols will be in areas known to have a higher number of DUI crashes or arrests.

The DUI saturation patrols will focus on major highways across the state, including I-695 in Baltimore County, I-70 in Howard, Frederick and Washington counties, I-495 in the Washington Metro region and Route 50 from Anne Arundel County to Ocean City.

The State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort Team, otherwise known as the SPIDRE team, will also be out this weekend. The team works to reduce alcohol-related crashes by targeting areas across the state with high crash rates involving impaired drivers.

According to a news release from the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office, the state averaged 169 fatalities and 2,998 injuries due to impaired driving crashes annually between 2017 and 2021.

In addition, Maryland averaged 93 fatalities and 3,915 injuries caused by speeding, 44 fatalities and 2,124 injuries due to aggressive driving and 208 fatalities and 24,343 injuries as a result of distracted driving over the same span.

If you are attending a Labor Day gathering:

• Designate your sober driver in advance and give that person your car keys.
• If you’re planning on driving, avoid drinking.
• Consider using public transportation, call a taxi or use a ride-share service if you don’t have a sober driver.
• Don’t let a friend drive if you think they are impaired.
• If you see someone who you believe is driving impaired, call police.
• Always buckle up.
• Don’t text, use a cellphone that is not hands-free or drive distracted.

If you are a host:

• Remember, you can be held liable if someone you served alcohol to ends up in an impaired-driving crash.
• Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages
• Ensure sober drivers or alternative modes of transportation are set up in advance for guest who are planning to drink alcoholic beverages.
• Have contact information for local taxi companies and/or ride share apps readily available.
• Take away the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving impaired.