Drunk-Driving Crackdown Includes Sobriety Checkpoints This Weekend: Annapolis Police

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Extra police patrols will be out and sobriety checkpoints will be set up this weekend in Anne Arundel County as part of a crackdown on impaired drivers, authorities say. Annapolis Police and Maryland State Police from the Annapolis Barrack will take part in Checkpoint Strikeforce, an initiative designed to remove impaired drivers from the road in Anne Arundel County this weekend.

The targeted effort begins on Friday, Sept. 8, and continues throughout the weekend. Maryland State Police will conduct the initiative, along with law enforcement from the Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Annapolis Police Department and the United States Naval Academy Police. The Maryland State Police SPIDRE, or State Police Impaired Driving Effort team will also take part in an effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes in Anne Arundel County, according to a news release.

On average, more than 7,400 crashes involving an impaired driver occur on Maryland roads each year. The state's Mobile Breath Alcohol Testing truck will coordinate with police during the initiative, to streamline arrests by processing impaired drivers at the scene. The truck, funded by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office, is equipped inside with Intoximeters, or breath testing instruments.

Authorities say Checkpoint Strikeforce educates drivers on the dangers of driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs or a combination of both. Police remind drivers who plan on consuming alcohol to plan on having a sober designated driver.

The penalties for a DUI or DWI in Maryland consist of potential jail time, fines, and a minimum of a 6-month license suspension.

Reminders for Drivers
Authorities remind drivers not to use their cell phones while driving. If you must make a call or text, pull onto the shoulder or exit the road, stop your vehicle and then use your phone.

Additionally, the State of Maryland has a “Move It Over Law,” which means drivers approaching an emergency vehicle or tow truck from the rear must:

• If practicable, move into an available lane away from the emergency vehicle or tow truck with due regard for safety and traffic conditions; or
• If the driver is unable to safely change lanes, then they must slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for existing weather, road, and vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions.

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