It?s good to see Gov. Martin O?Malley sign bills that will lead to the creation of a task force to combat driving under the influence, which accounts for an average of 245 deaths every year in Maryland.
This top-to-bottom review is a long time coming.
According to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, Maryland?s neighboring regions ? Washington, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia ? have:
» Higher penalties for refusing a blood-alcohol concentration test
» Higher DUI fines
» More comprehensive and tougher penalty structures for high BAC drunken drivers.
Repeat drunken drivers and high-BAC drunken drivers are overrepresented in alcohol-related fatal traffic crashes.
In addition, Washington, Pennsylvania and Virginia have more comprehensive and tougher penalty structures for repeat drunken drivers, and Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia have more mandatory alcohol assessment and treatment for DUI offenders, according to WRAP.
Data from the University of Maryland?s National Study Center for Trauma also shows that of its neighboring states, Maryland pays the second-highest per capita costs for alcohol-related traffic crashes.
Getting stuck in the Box
On the subject of making sure intersections get cleared before more cars try to get through but can?t, Donna writes: “I?m sorry, but I think Blocking the Box is the stupidest thing I?ve ever heard.
“This concept assumes every driver on the road is a mind reader or can predict the future. What about circumstances when you?re following traffic in your lane … when all of a sudden, a driver three or four cars ahead of you decides to slam on their brakes. …
“You?re stuck in the middle of an intersection through no fault of your own. You mean to tell me those drivers should be and are fined?
“The driving patterns that I?m witnessing more and more are that of extremely impatient, discourteous and downright nasty drivers [who] feel they have an ultimate right to drive anywhere and everywhere the second they get a mind to do so.
“This Blocking the Box theory stems from impatience … .
“What about the other ?violators? such as tailgaters, passers and speeders? I drive through Baltimore City every workday and witness people speeding and making illegal left-hand turns even though traffic signs are posted.
“I never see the police stopping ANY of these people.
“I guess the city wants to collect fines anyway, and they can from people who just won?t want to fight the system and even more fines from those who go to court and increase an already overloaded court docket.”
While I agree that there are times when some people find themselves “stuck” in an intersection, the problem, as Donna notes, is more one of impatience and lack of consideration.
Having police in some of the intersections where this happens frequently would help ? but they can?t be everywhere.
