Mothers Against Drunk Driving is using the case of a Montgomery County art teacher who an intoxicated driver killed last summer to try to get Maryland to beef up its drunk driving laws.
Representatives from MADD appeared Wednesday in a Frederick, Md. courtroom at the sentencing of David Ellis Helms, who earlier this month pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in connection with the November death of 61-year-old Leonard Cave, a popular instructor at Northwest High School.
Helm’s punishment had not yet been announced as of late Wednesday afternoon. But MADD Chesapeake Region Executive Director Caroline Cash said the case is a solid example of why the state should enact stricter punishments.
“Most people are unaware of how lax these laws are,” she said. “But [Cave’s] family is trying to spur the community to action before they have to deal with what [the family is] going through.”
State Sen. Jennie Forehand (D-Montgomery) authored legislation that establishes a special drunk driving task force for the state. The legislation could make it to the floor this session in Annapolis.
It’s an approach Virginia took five years ago that produced 33 recommendations for curbing drunk driving. Maryland hasn’t taken a top-to-bottom look at drunk driving in the state since the 1980s.
“This task force would take a complete view at the entire system so we have a better idea of what’s going on,” Cash said.
Comparatively, Virginia has higher penalties for BAC test refusal than Maryland as well as higher DUI fines for first-time and repeat offenders , according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Specific changes MADD hopes to make in Maryland include the mandatory installation of ignition interlock devices in the vehicles of all drunk driving offenders.
These devices check the blood alcohol content of the driver and only allow the motor to begin running if the BAC is in acceptable range.
Maryland law gives judges the option of installing the ignition features, but there is no requirement, Cash said.
