Maryland Goes Easy on Drunk Drivers: Study

A recent review of DUI laws by an online publication ranks Maryland as the seventh-most lenient state in the nation in terms of drunken-driving enforcement and prevention.

The study in question, conducted by WalletHub.com, investigated DUI penalties by state in an effort to determine which states are the strictest — and conversely the most lenient — when it comes to DUI enforcement.

On WalletHub’s final list, which ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia from 1-51, the state of Maryland ranked No. 45 in the country.

To compile its rankings, WalletHub analyzed a number of variables — including minimum jail time for first and/or second offenses, the point at which a DUI becomes an automatic felony, how long a license can be suspended following a DUI, if and when an ignition interlock becomes mandatory, how much states will charge in fines and whether or not a state uses sobriety checkpoints — to help determine the strictness or leniency of a given state.

The data gathered through those variables was then used to calculate a score, with the highest score for Arizona designating the strictest state in the country. Neighboring Virginia and Delaware tied for 11th strictest, while the District ranked as the second-most lenient at No. 50 on the list. Only South Dakota has less penalties for DUI than Washington, DC.

»See the scoring for every state below.

Which states have taken the toughest line to crack down on DUI?

Arizona is ranked toughest on drunken drivers, says WalletHub, followed by Georgia, Alaska, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

On the flip side, the states easiest on DUI offenders are: South Dakota, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Since states first began to crack down on drunk driving in the 1980s, the rate of impaired driving and the number of accidents caused by drunk drivers has dropped considerably. Since 1982, the number drunk-driving fatalities dropped by 57 percent, due in part to changing views by society on drinking, as well as tougher penalties for those caught driving under the influence, the website says.

For example, almost half the states now require all convicted DUI offenders to install an ignition interlock device in any vehicles they will be driving. Maryland legislators just passed such a law this year following the death of Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta, who was hit by a repeat drunk driver.

These devices analyze the driver’s breath and won’t permit the car to start if alcohol is detected. The federal government estimates that these devices have reduced re-arrest rates of DUI offenders by 67 percent.

Source: WalletHub