Maryland teens won’t be racing to the Motor Vehicle Administration to take their driving tests on their 16th birthday anymore.
They will have to wait even longer to get their driver’s license when a score of new Maryland state laws take effect on Thursday. Maryland residents also will face stricter laws for speeding, drunken driving, and texting while driving.
Starting Thursday, teens will have to wait until they are 16 years and 6 months old before they can apply for their license. They cannot get their learner’s permit until they are 15 years and 9 months old, and then must wait nine months before going for their provisional license.
“In theory, this gives young drivers more practice time and experience behind the wheel before they get their full license,” said John B. Townsend II, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic auto club.
The restrictions on the provisional license can only be removed once a teen reaches 18 years old.
Speed cameras, currently allowed only in Montgomery County, will be used in highway construction zones and school zones statewide. Cameras will ticket anyone speeding a minimum of 12 mph over the limit in a given area and will charge up to $40.
Drivers will receive warnings for a 30-day grace period after the speed cameras are set up.
“Speeding is a major factor in deadly crashes in the Washington metro area,” Townsend said. “The speed a motorist is going can determine the outcome of an accident. It is common sense that you want to do speed enforcement.”
The highway cameras willl be operated by the Maryland State Highway Administration, and can be only in areas where the limit is 45 mph or higher. Signs must give fair warning to drivers.
Local governments that want to add cameras in school zones must pass legislation similar to the state law. The Prince George’s County Council is reviewing a measure and hopes to have speed monitors in place by the end of the year, according to county spokesman Jim Keary.
Texting while driving, the latest technological advancement keeping drivers’ eyes off the road, will be prohibited, though the law does not include a law against reading texts or alerts, only writing and sending them.
Drivers caught texting will face a $500 fine for a misdemeanor offense.
New laws A host of other laws take effect Thursday include: » DNA or biological evidence must prove guilt in death penalty cases. » Homelessness and gender are included in the definition of a hate crime. » SWAT must now report its actions within six months of any event.
