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Maryland

Most recently reviewed March, 2008.

Aggressive Driving Laws

Aggressive Driver Actions

Comments

At least three of the following: failure to obey traffic control device, overtaking and passing, passing on right, driving on laned roadways, following too closely, failure to yield right of way or speeding.  
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Cell Phone Driving Laws

Crash
Data
Collected

Preemption Laws

Handheld Ban

Texting Ban

All Cell Phone Ban

Enforcement

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

Yes         <18 w/ Learner or Provisional License Secondary
Sources: American Automobile Association (AAA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Child Passenger Safety Laws

Child Restraint Required
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)

Adult seat belt Permissible
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)

Maximum Fine
First Offense

<7 years (and either <57" or <65 lbs.)

8 - 15 (or >57" or 65 lbs.)

$25

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Drug Impaired Driving Laws

Per Se Laws for Drugs
(Forbidding Prohibited Substances in
Driver's Body)

DEC/DRE Programs
(Providing Law Enforcement Training)

 

Yes

Source: State Highway Safety Offices.

Drunk Driving Laws

Admin. License
Suspension on
First Offense

Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension

Increased Penalties for High Blood Alc. Concentration (BAC)

Open Container, Repeat Offender Laws

Vehicle and License
Plate
Sanctions

Ignition Interlocks

Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity

45 days Yes

 

Both

 

Yes Repealed
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Laws

Learner Stage

Intermediate Stage

Full Privilege
Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Required
Supervised
Driving (Hrs.)
(Nighttime hours in parenthesis)

Special Cell
Phone Provisions

Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Duration
(Mos.)

Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Nighttime Driving Restriction

Passenger
Restriction*
(* family members
exempt)

15 / 9

6

16 / 3 Midnight - 5 a.m. Drivers <18: First 5 mos.–no pass. <18* Night: 17 / 9 60 (10) Drivers under 18 holding a learner or provisional license may not use a wireless communication device, except to contact a 911 system.
Passenger: 16 / 8
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), American Automobile Association (AAA) and State Highway Safety Offices.

Helmet Laws

Motorcyclists

Bicyclists

All Helmet Law

Partial Law

All Helmet Law Repealed

1992

 

 

<16

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Mature Driver Laws

General Population Length of Renewal (Yrs.)

Provisions for Mature Drivers

5

Vision test required at every renewal for >40

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Seat Belt Laws

Type of Law

Who is Covered
(Yrs.)

In What Seat

Maximum Fine
First Offense

Primary

>16

Front

$25
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Segway Laws

Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths

Permitted on Roads

Helmets Required

Minimum Age

Pedestrian Laws Apply

Sidewalks and bicycle paths

Yes on streets w/ speed limits up to 30 mph if no sidewalk avail.

<16

 

 

Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
Sobriety Checkpoint Laws

Checkpoints Conducted?

Comments

Yes

Weekly

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Speed Limit Laws

Rural Interstates

Urban Interstates

Other Limited Access Roads

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

65 60-65 65 65 55-65 55-65

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Speed and Red Light Cameras

 

State Law

Loca-
tion

Viola- tions

Citation Issued to Whom

Liability

Image

Tradi-
tional Enforce-
ment Penalties

Records/ Points/ Penalties

Defenses

Privacy

Per-
mitted

1) State-
wide

Red light

Registered owner

Owner

Two or more images of rear of vehicle and tag in any medium

$500 max fine/2 points

$100 max. civil penalty; no points or record; not a moving violation; may not be used by insurers

Driver in funeral procession or yielding to emergency vehicle; vehicle or tags stolen; owner not driver; owner must identify driver

Images avail. only to owner and in limited circum-
stances to law enforce-
ment

2) School zones and residential districts in Mont-
gomery Co.

Speed

Registered owner

Owner

Two or more images of rear of vehicle and tag in any medium

Max. fine $500 in residential district; $1,000 in school zone; points depend on speed

$40 max. fine; no points

Vehicle or tag stolen; owner not driver; must identify driver; other issues the court finds pertinent

Images avail. only to owner and in limited circum-
stances to law enforce-
ment

Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Work Zone Speed Limit Laws

Multiple of Original Fine

Violations Affected

Workers Must Be Present

2X original max. fine;
Not more than $1,000

Speeding

No

Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.