Drunk Driving and Teenagers

Teenagers and Drunk Driving

Historically, a major threat to teenagers in the United States is drunk driving injuries and fatalities. There has been great improvement on this issue. Since 1991, drunk-driving incidents involving high schoolers has dropped by 54%. 

However, many high schoolers continue to drive drunk. Alcohol is attributed to have caused or been a factor in 40% of all teen deaths in vehicular accidents. Teen drunk driving, by some estimates, every fifteen minutes a teenager will die from a drunk driving incident. 

Lastly, 60% of all teen car crashes are alcohol-related and 1 in every 10 American teenagers will drive under the influence of alcohol.

Alcohol is a big part of teen communities and therefore some statistics should be absorbed to understand the gravity and prevalence of alcohol-use in teenage communities. In 2003, the average boy tries his first tries of alcohol at 11 and the average girl at 13. On an average day, 11,318 teens will try alcohol for the first time. 

Alcohol abuse is more likely for those who begin drinking regularly before 15 years old. Lastly, three million American teens are alcoholics. These statistics show that alcohol is a big part of growing-up and holds a hallowed place in teenage communities. This must be tempered with policies that help to combat the potential threat teenage drunk driving can pose to the teenage community as well as the community at-large.

Zero Tolerance Laws

The tremendous drop in teenage drunk driving shows that effective strategies do exist o combat this specific threat. One of the most effective are known as “zero tolerance” laws. Zero tolerance laws are designed to deter drunk driving by making it illegal for all under the age of 21 to imbibe any alcohol at all and drive. 

This means in a jurisdiction where zero tolerance laws have been enacted, if someone under the age of 21 has any modicum of alcohol in their system, they will be considered to be driving drunk. The research has shown that laws like these have been effective in reducing drinking and driving crashes involving teenagers. 

The classification of these types of offences can vary depending on the jurisdiction in which the violation occurs. Some jurisdictions classify them as administrative infractions while others consider these offences are misdemeanor crimes. The facts of the case also play a role in what penalties are doled out.

The penalties, in cases such as these, can vary depending on how the state classifies the violation and the individual facts and circumstances of the incident. In many cases underage drivers with alcohol in their system can face: fines fluctuating from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, up to a year in jail, community service, substance abuse classes or treatment, and/or having to install an ignition interlock device. Although most often underage DUI penalties are less severe than normal DUI penalties, they can still have major repercussions in a young person’s life.

Less Known Adverse Effects of an Underage DUI Conviction

All young people should be aware of the extent to which a DUI can affect their life. Yes, underage DUIs can cause fines and even jail time. However, there can be other adversities posed by such a conviction. 

Applications to colleges and universities can be compromised by an underage drunk driving conviction. Most undergraduate institutions have a section in their application process devoted to crimes and infractions. On a college application, a misdemeanor can be lumped in with more serious crimes. 

Therefore, whether the underage DUI is a misdemeanor in that teenager’s students state can be a big deal for any potential students. It is true that underage DUIs do not necessarily disqualify you from getting your undergraduate degree, but it can be a factor that is given significant consideration and can materially hurt a teenager’s chance at an acceptance.

An underage DUI can potentially affect your ability to get certain types of employment. However, it is not common that an underage DUI (assuming it wasn’t followed with a pattern of irresponsible behavior and that offence occurred a number of years ago) will not substantially affect your search for employment. 

Again, this can depend on whether your state considers violation of zero tolerance laws a misdemeanor or merely an administrative infraction. Background checks are common for many employment applications and thus it is essential to be aware of your state’s policy on if they have a zero tolerance law on the books and if so how stringent it’s penalties are.

What Can Be Done to Avoid all of This?

First and foremost, teens must take the responsibility unto themselves to comport with behavior that minimizes the risk of being in alcohol-related vehicular accidents. Perhaps the most important thing teens can do is to not drink and drive. Teens should also not ride in a vehicle with another teen who has been drinking. In fact, they should make reasonable attempts to dissuade other teens from driving inebriated. Furthermore, obey the speed limit, don’t text and drive, and put on your seatbelt. All of these steps will make teens safer on the roads and hopefully will not only diminish drunk driving rates as well as promote safe driving in general.

Second, parents must be the vanguards of safety for their children and make reasonable efforts to ensure responsible behavior. Parents must understand that teenagers will drink and when they do they may be doing so to get drunk. Parents should also understand that drunk driving is more dangerous for teenagers than adults, in large part, because teenagers aren’t used to drinking and knowing their alcohol limits. Studies show that an effective way to respond is not to enforce draconian rules for your kids, but rater give them options. Offer to give them a way to get home safe and sound. This may be done by picking them up or sending a cab to get them. It is essential that teenagers do not feel desperate to hide their drinking as this is what often underpins desperate behavior. Lastly, be a good role model for your teenager by always adhering to the rules of the road.

Ignition Interlock Program

What is the Ignition Interlock Program?

The Ignition Interlock Program was made to help limit the ability of those under the influence of alcohol to drive a vehicle. When an individual is in the program, a device is installed in their vehicle.

This device will only allow the driver to start the ignition of their vehicle when they are sober. Ideally, this would result in a reduction in the number of inebriated drivers on the roads and streets of Maryland.

The device installed in the vehicle has a mouthpiece that must be blown into by any prospective driver. This mouthpiece connects to the ignition of a particular vehicle and will only allow the vehicle to be turned on when breathed into by a person who does not have alcohol on their breath. 

The mouthpiece, when breathed into, connects to a component to the device that will analyze your breath to determine if the person is over the limit of inebriation.

This limit is measured by the blood alcohol content (BAC) which is the same measure the police use when stopping and testing drunk drivers.

The BAC required to disallow the vehicle’s ignition from starting is .025%. This is a lower BAC, then what is needed to arrest an inebriated driver for a DWI or DUI. 

The device also keeps records of all of it’s interactions with users and other types of information that will be reviewed by the service provider every thirty days. 

Lastly, the device will also ask for retests at certain points during your drive to ensure safety. The retests do not require the car to be stopped and can be done with little effort during your drive.

The Ignition Interlock Program and Maryland

Drinking and driving is a serious issue in America and results in property damage, injury, and fatality. In Maryland, roughly a third of roadway deaths are a result of impaired driving. The state averages 7, 884 impaired riving crashes annually. 

Additionally, 171 fatalities and 4,026 injuries occur every year in Maryland as a result of impaired driving.

Maryland established the Ignition Interlock Program in 1989. It is administrated and monitored by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). The program has evolved since its inception. Currently, the Ignition Interlock Program is entirely automated.

This allows the MVA to monitor the participants of the program efficiently and effectively. The MVA also makes use of automation in taking action against program violators. 

Maryland Vehicle Law and the Code of Maryland Regulations mandate the requirements for “participation, the standards for certification, installation, repair and removal of interlock devices, the eligibility requirements for participants, and the standards for Service Providers.”

How do Driver’s Get into the Ignition Interlock Program?

Under normal circumstances, an individual is enrolled in the Ignition Interlock Program after some kind of drunk driving incident. An accused individual can elect to enter the program for a number of reasons, but the most common one is that it can be evidence used to show good behavior or a change of heart for the Court.

If the individual is eligible, the drunk driver can opt into the program thereby becoming a participant in the Ignition Interlock Program. Participation in the program is an alternative to requesting a hearing or upon the suspension or revocation of your driver’s license. On October 1, 2016 Noah’s law was enacted which would require certain offenders to enroll in the program.

These offences include DUIs, DWIs while transporting a minor under the age of 16, driving while intoxicated with an initial breathalyzer test refusal, and homicide or life-threatening injury by motor vehicle while DUI or DWI.

When you elect to participate in the Ignition Interlock Program, an individual will be enrolled for a certain amount of time. When you submit a test indicating a BAC of at least 0.08 but less than 0.15, you will be enrolled for 180 days. This term will 1 year if the test submitted indicated a BAC of 0.15 or higher. The term will be the same if you refuse to submit to the test.

What are Violations of the Ignition Interlock Program

For those who elect or are required to enroll in the Ignition Interlock Program, they must adhere to the requirements of the program or otherwise risk failure or addendums to their term of enrollment. One such violation is the failure to have the device installed in their car and obtain a license that reflects that they may only operate a vehicle that possesses an ignition interlock device.


Another is the failure to appear at the monthly monitoring visits or to operate a motor vehicle not equipped with the ignition device. Some more violations include: failure to abide by terms and conditions of the service provider, tampering with the device, or attempting to start a vehicle with a BAC greater than .025%.

The Cost of the Ignition Interlock Program

All participants in the program are responsible for all expenses incurred by participation in the program. The MVA charges a fee for obtaining a special license that notes the participant may not drive a vehicle that does not have an ignition device.


The MVA also charges a fee to correct the participants license after completion of Ignition Interlock program. Lastly, the installation and monthly servicing cost are charged to participants. These costs may vary.

How Long Does the Program Last?

When an individual receives information about the program, the information should include the minimum amount of time so that the program may be completed. However, this time period is subject to change.

Violations of the program’s rules and guidelines can result in change in terms. Therefore, an individual’s term in the program can be increased by violations. Duration in the program can also be increased by other driving incidents.

Another important note is that credit toward Ignition Interlock Program achievement will not be given until the ignition is installed in the individual’s vehicle and have obtained a restricted license. The program is only officially completed when a letter is sent by the service provider of the Ignition Interlock Program to the MVA.

Expungements: What to Expect When you have Violations on your Driver’s License

What can you get expunged from your driving record in Maryland?

When a person has been convicted of a DUI they may want to think about getting it expunged from their driving record. If you have been convicted of a DUI in Maryland, you cannot get it expunged. 

Expungement, here, means for something to be removed from your driving record and thus this is not in reference to criminal records which is a different issue. Some of the things that can be expunged are moving violations and parking violations.

The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA), as of October 1, 2017, will automatically expunge your driving record when the violations become eligible. 

This is in accordance with recent changes in Maryland law.  Previously, someone with points on their license would be required to apply for an expungement. 

This process has been simplified in the interest of helping convicted driver’s move on with their lives and not live with their mistakes effecting their ability move for inordinate amounts of time. However, the MVA does not expunge violations that involve driving under the influence specifically stating that a violation involving alcohol cannot be expunged.

What are the benefits of expunging points from your violations record?

There are no downsides to getting your violations expunged from your driving record. Your driving record is maintained by the state of Maryland so that they may ensure safety and other forms of good driving behavior on the roads. 

When you get your license in Maryland, you must follow the laws of the state or face fines and, if your conduct is severe enough, even jail time. The rules of the road can vary and include speed limits, parking rules, amongst many others. When you break the rules of the road, you can be given points on your license.

These points are tracked by the state and can result in license suspensions of even license revocations if they exceed a certain number. In Maryland, 3 or 4 points will result in a warning letter being sent to you by the MVA. If you reach 8 to 11 points, your license will be suspended. 

Once you have accumulated 12 points on your license, your license will be revoked. A DUI can result in a great many points on your license depending on the severity of your incident, if children were in the car, or if this latest incident shows a clear pattern of destructive and dangerous behavior. 

Clearly, if you have had violations it would behoove you to have it expunged from your license to get those points off removed. Thanks to recent Maryland law, this will be done automatically for you at the time of your expungement eligibility.  

What can you get expunged?

Driving record expungements work differently depending on the what violation(s) have been committed. Violations involving driver safety are treated more severely than other violations that merely implicate orderly driving. For instance, parking violations are not treated similarly as DUIs. 

This is reflected in the points given for the respective violations, but this is also reflected in the length of time the violations stay on your record.

When a driver has never been suspended for driver safety related violations, have never had their license revoked, and have no moving violations their record will be expunged within 31 days of their last conviction date. 

For drivers who have been suspended several times for reasons related to driver safety or who have previously had their license revoked all record entries will be expunged in 10 years after the last moving violation, conviction date, or grant of probation before judgement. 

As you can see, the amount of time you must wait for expungement eligibility can vary depending on the violations. These are the two extremes and therefore several eligibility-waiting periods exist between them.

What about DUI or DWI expungement?

There are certain violations that cannot be expunged under any circumstances. One of the more notable non-expungeable violations include anything related to a fatal accident. Another non-expungeable offence is a DUI or DWI. Once convicted of either crime it will stay on your license and, according to Maryland law, will not be removed under any circumstances. 

The reason these violations are kept on driving records is because of the seriousness of the infraction. The punishments DUI or DWI offenders face can be very serious.

At the very least, the influenced-driver will be subject to serious points being put on their license. If you do not think this is serious, it should be remembered that people use their cars for everything including going to work and getting groceries. 

Some people even drive as their work. DUI points can put someone’s entire lifestyle in jeopardy. Additionally, this punishment underpins the seriousness with which Maryland takes the problem of intoxicated drivers. 

An alcohol-related violation can follow you forever and the state knows that this fact can act as a deterrent on any such behavior.

  

What about those with holding a commercial driver’s license?

For a commercial driver’s license, the Maryland law mentioned above will govern. This being, that for any violations they automatically be expunged when the violation becomes eligible. 

This is good for those that have commercial driver’s license. Before, one would need to seek expungement once they become eligible for such action. As of October 1, 2017, expungements no longer need to be sought and will be granted automatically once eligible. 

It is worth noting that if the individual seeking expungement has their license suspended at or near the time of expungement, eligible violations will be delayed up to 31 days following the rescinding of the suspension.   

What violations are not related to driver safety?

As mentioned above, what is and is not considered driver safety can make the difference if you want your public driving record clean. Driver safety is one of the major goals of transportation laws and codes. 

Thus, to ensure safety on the road a harder stance needs to be taken on the violations that can create a dangerous driving environment. 

Violations that are not related to driver safety are outstanding arrest warrants, failure to pay for motor fuel, improper use of a driver’s license or identification card by a minor to obtain alcohol, and noncompliance with traffic citation issued under federal law. These, amongst others, are not considered safety violations. 

Baltimore County DUI and DWI Patrols in Towson and Timonium Maryland

Baltimore County DUI Patrols Planned for April 18, 19, and 20, 2013.

Baltimore County, Md. (April 18, 2013) - Law enforcement officers from the Baltimore County Police Department and the Maryland State Police will be teaming up to catch drugged and drunk drivers in a DUI saturation patrol.

Between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. on all three days, officers will be patrolling along major roads in the Towson and Timonium areas looking for drivers believed to be under the influence. Officers will also focus their efforts on identifying underage drivers who have consumed alcohol.

Call attorney Randolph Rice for DUI legal help at 410-288-2900

Towson Md DUI Lawyer G. Randolph Rice, Jr, warns that being stopped and arrested for DUI can have serious consequences on your license and future, call Mr. Rice at 410-288-2900 for immediate DUI legal help or email him directly.

These details are one part of a comprehensive strategy to prevent drivers from operating motor vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, promote community education, and ensure enforcement of laws to reduce the number of alcohol-involved crashes. Please drink responsibly, use a designated driver, or take a taxi.

Grant funding from the Maryland Highway Safety Office will be used to partially fund this patrol event.