More than half of those busted for drunk driving in Maryland aren鈥檛 ordered to get the one tool that鈥檚 supposed to be required at sentencing.
It鈥檚 a major loophole to what鈥檚 known as Noah鈥檚 Law, which itself took years to pass after Montgomery County police officer Noah Leotta was killed by a repeat drunk driver. Now his father is trying again to close that loophole.
Under Noah鈥檚 Law, which passed in 2016, anyone convicted of drunk driving is required to get an ignition interlock put on the vehicle to prevent driving drunk again. But of the more than 10,000 people arrested for drunk driving last year in Maryland, many of them got what鈥檚 called probation before judgment 鈥� which is an admission of guilt without putting the conviction on the driving record. Thus, they aren鈥檛 required to get that ignition interlock put on their vehicle.
鈥淔ifty-one percent have slipped through because of this,鈥� said Rich Leotta, ahead of a hearing on the bill that once again aims to close that loophole in Maryland. It鈥檚 come close to passing several times in recent years, but never quite got through both chambers.
鈥淚f they don鈥檛 get it, it鈥檚 blood on their hands they continue to have dripping,鈥� Leotta said. 鈥淭hey know that people are getting scot-free,鈥� he added.
Joining Leotta in testifying in favor of the bills was Christine Nizer, Maryland鈥檚 Motor Vehicle Administrator and Gov. Wes Moore鈥檚 Highway Safety Representative.
On average there are more than 6,600 impaired driving crashes
鈥淓ach year in Maryland 鈥� on average there are more than 6,600 impaired driving crashes resulting in nearly 3,000 injuries and 170 fatalities on our roadways,鈥� Nizer said. 鈥淭hese statistics are not just numbers 鈥� These are mothers, brothers, sons.鈥�
Nizer cited statistics from anti-drunk driving organizations that claim someone will drive drunk 80 times before they鈥檙e arrested for the first time, and another statistic that said the ignition interlocks reduce DUI recidivism by 67% compared to just suspending someone鈥檚 license.
In 2022, ignition interlocks stopped someone from starting or operating a vehicle while they were under the influence more than 3,600 times in Maryland, according to the state’s motor vehicle administration.
鈥淎ll of those are an opportunity for somebody to be killed or injured,鈥� Nizer said. 鈥淭his legislation can save lives and help drivers who have violated our impaired driving laws.鈥�
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a punishment,鈥� state Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher argued, as he held up an interlock. 鈥淭his is a tool to save lives.鈥�
While the bill got a hearing in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Tuesday, lawmakers won鈥檛 start voting on it until later in the session. Last year, it passed the senate unanimously, but didn鈥檛 pass the house of delegates before the legislative session ended.
鈥淓ach time, there鈥檚 always one reason or another why this body of politics doesn鈥檛 seem to get it done,鈥� Leotta said. 鈥淓ither they want to save lives or they鈥檙e going to continue to have blood on their hands if they don鈥檛 pass the legislation this year.鈥�
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