Police arrested 11 people for DUI at a road checkpoint on route one in MD the night of August 20.  Drivers were given three warnings before getting to the checkpoint with ample opportunity to avoid the checkpoint altogether.  Yet 11 inebriated drivers made their way right into the checkpoints, were checked and arrested.  While some question the constitutionality of the checkpoints, one has to wonder what these people were thinking to pass three clear indications of the roadblock.  Police say that another set of checkpoints targeting the UM game on Sept 18 will be set up.

http://www.diamondbackonline.com/mobile/news/police-arrest-11-motorists-at-route-1-dui-checkpoint-1.1543368

On August 23 the Associated Press reported that Danny Arnold Rodgers was convicted of stealing another man’s identity and going on a drunken driving rampage that racked up four DUIs in less than two weeks.  Earl Hood, the man whose identity was stolen, lost his job, many of his possessions, and his marriage ended in divorce.  The DUIs meant that Hood lost his CDL.  “I lost everything.  It just completely wiped me out,” the AP reported Hood to have said.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/sns-ap-us-trucker-identity-theft,0,7808418.story

A teenage girl in New York called 911 operators to report that her mother was under the influence of alcohol and driving erratically on I-84.  The teen was in the car with her mother and dispatchers reported hearing arguing in the car.  The girl initially reported that she was fearful because her mother was driving erratically and speaking incoherently.  When police arrived, the car was parked on the side of the road.  The mother failed the field sobriety tests and was arrested.  Her blood alcohol content was later recorded at .18, more than twice the legal limit.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/28/new.york.teen.911.mom/index.html?iref=allsearch

Beginning the second week of August, checkpoints will be set up in as-yet-undisclosed locations around St. Mary’s County.  The purpose of the checkpoints is to crack down on drunk drivers.  They will be conducting field sobriety tests when there is suspicion of alcoholic consumption on the part of the driver.

Many find these checkpoints to be a violation of constitutional rights and “police state” kind of activities.  MD authorities are going through with the plans anyway in their goal to seriously decrease the number of traffic fatalities where one of the drivers was under the influence of alcohol.  In an effort to address some concerns about the appropriateness of highway checkpoints, all checkpoints will be clearly marked with signs, lights, and uniformed officers.  So drivers should have ample heads-up before the checkpoint comes.  Deciding what the best methods of lowering incidents of drunk driving and the negative consequences associated with it, while at the same time guaranteeing basic rights is a difficult question to answer and one that requires the input of many different parties.

http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/19137

Officials Admit to inaccurate BAC Tester

In March of this year Washington, DC officials admitted that equipment that district police were using to measure BAC had given inaccurate results.  Baltimore DUI Lawyers and defense attorneys across the US have known that there are potential problems with the devices for a long time, but to have public officials admit this is a new step.  The department said that they planned on replacing the old breath tests and that they would retrain officers on the new systems being put into place.  The malfunctioning machines are of the ubiquitous “Intoxilyzer” brand that are used by many police departments across the country.  90% of the machines were called into question, and officials say that the machines may have been giving incorrect readings since October of 2008.
Because the breath test is often vitally important to a prosecutor’s case against a person charged with DWI, this revelation brings with it questions about how many people may have been convicted and sentenced based on faulty readings.  Those convicted of DWI in DC face a mandatory five days in jail if their BAC is above .2, and a driver can be convicted based ONLY on the breath result.  While protecting our streets from dangerous and intoxicated drivers is important, it is also equally important that methods being used to determine whether someone is driving under the influence are fair and accurate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/06/AR2010030602500.html?sub=AR

Efforts to Toughen DUI Laws Struck Down

Over the last year, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) has gotten behind bill SB 564/HB 743 in Maryland which would have required ignition interlock devices to be installed in the car of even first time DUI offenders.  The bill, dubbed the Drunk Driving Elimination Act, was supported not only by MADD, but also by other civic and community groups such as Maryland MVA, and the Impaired Driving Coalition.

Maryland Driving Alcohol Related Fatality Statistics

Maryland has enjoyed several years of continuously improved statistic when it comes to driving fatalities where alcohol was involved.  During 2008, there were 186 deaths in accidents where at least one of the drivers had a blood alcohol content of .01 or greater.  152 of those fatalities involved accidents where at least one of the drivers had a BAC of .08 or greater. Overall, approximately 26% of all accidents where there was a fatality involved alcohol at some level.

Baltimore County Police Captain Receives Award

In April of this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) presented Captain Howard B. Hall, Baltimore County Police Department an award in recognition of his leadership and innovation in developing and implementing a data-driven approach to crime and traffic safety.  This is a program that has produced positive results