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Controversial DUI Laws in Maryland

In the state of Maryland, the debate continues about several controversial DUI laws and how they are being implemented. The controversy exist on both sides of the fence where several human rights groups complain about the heavy handed approach of these controversial DUI laws, while on the other hand, legislators complain that some of these laws still have loop holes that are being exploited by Maryland’s DUI lawyers, thus defeating the purpose of their development. As a result, your take on the issue will depend on which side of the divide you reside.

 
 

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Maryland Controversial DUI Laws

Actually most of Maryland DUI laws will be seemed as controversial if you are a DUI offender. However, let us get serious. Most of Maryland’s controversial laws feature an infringement upon the rights of its citizen and include:

  • Maryland’s Consent Law: According to many human rights advocates, Maryland’s consent law is a direct infringement on the driver’s Fifth Amendment as it forces them to agree with a directive from the police that could end up incriminating them. According to Maryland consent rule, drivers must submit themself to a field sobriety test of requested by a police officer on the suspicion of a DUI. Failure to do so results in an automatic suspension of their driver’s license.
  • Maryland’s Drunk Driving Elimination Act: This act aims at sealing the holes in the state’s driver consent law. They found that many individuals who know they would violate the DUI laws because their BAC number would certainly exceed the 0.08% threshold were simply refusing to do the test and be satisfied with their driver’s license suspension. This is because a conviction for a DUI in the state of Maryland has more far-reaching effects than just losing their driver’s license.

    Therefore, this new law proposes to remove the right of refusal of a field sobriety test, thus forcing drunk drivers to comply. This has left several human rights bodies and DUI attorneys livid as they are about to lose one of their best get out of jail free card.
  • Maryland’s Zero tolerance Law: many complain that Maryland’s zero tolerance law bites into the heart of any fun a teenager can have while out on the streets. Binge drinking is rampant among adolescence and college kids and many complain that with a BAC limit of 0.02%, they will not be able to drive home after a night out on the city. Though various groups offer counseling about assigning a designated driver, who really wants to volunteer and miss all the fun.
  • Maryland’s Ignition Interlock law: Studies show that the state’s ignition interlock law is riddled with holes. In the first instance, DUI offenders are told to purchase the device and install it in their vehicles. They must then prove this to the courts. However, many just maintain the intention as they are always stuck in the process of getting it installed. Another problem stems from DUI offenders who are driving other people’s vehicles and do not have one of their own. There is no way to implement this law on them, so they continue to traverse the streets freely.