Dear Friends:
I wanted to share an honor I just received for my efforts during the 2009 Legislative Session. The Maryland Department of Transportation just named me a “Champion of Traffic Safety."
I am proud to be recognized for my ongoing efforts not just to improve safety, but also to reduce traffic congestion and expand public transportation as these are top concerns for those of us living in the greater Rockville and Gaithersburg areas.
This past Session, we created significant transportation safety laws, including:
I was recognized both for sponsoring legislation and for my work behind the scenes in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee where these bills were heard and debated.
According to State Highway Administrator Neil Pedersen, "We wanted to recognize the Senator for consistently stepping up to promote safer roads. Maryland's fatal crash rate is 25 percent lower than the national rate and these new laws will help further improve our safety record."
and John Kuo, Motor Vehicle Administrator with Champion of Traffic Safety plaque.
The Task Force on Drunk and Drugged Driving
My 2007 legislation created this Task Force which brought together State government, law enforcement, the courts, defense counsel and others for an in-depth review of Maryland's drunk driving laws.
The Task Force recommended three bills, for which I was the lead Senate sponsor. All became law and they will:
- establish a mandatory 1-year suspended license penalty for a second drunk driving conviction;
- prohibit Probation Before Judgment unless a defendant has not been convicted in the previous 10 years; and
- create a misdemeanor penalty for a driver with an alcohol-related restriction who is caught drinking and driving.
Teen Driving Safety
Research shows that graduated driver's licenses reduce accidents. This law raises the age for a provisional driver’s license to 16 years, 6 months and for a regular license to 18 years. Also, there are new penalties for teens who commit two or more moving violations and driving instructors must now go through a criminal background check.
Texting Ban
There is no question that typing text messages while trying to drive is risky. I cosponsored the legislation to prohibit texting and establishing a misdemeanor penalty with fines up to $500.
Highway Work Zone Speed Monitoring
This law sets up penalties for travelling 12 miles over the posted speed limit in a highway or expressway work zone. There must be conspicuous warnings that speed monitoring systems are in use and during the first 30 days of work, only a warning can be given. The maximum fine is $40.
These new laws are by no means the only legislative goals I accomplished this Session. I had a hand in efforts on a number of fronts including federal funding for Metro, domestic violence, consumer protection, child safety and greater controls on police monitoring to name a few.
In all my efforts, I depend on my constituents for their perspective so I hope you will stay in touch.
