Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan joined families to honor those who died from impaired driving at Monday’s 19th annual Maryland Remembers event.
“Heartbreak may have brought all of you here. But hope is what brings us together year after year,” Hogan said. “The hope (is) that by standing up and speaking out and sharing your stories, that more drivers will choose not to drive impaired, and more families will be saved from suffering another preventable tragedy.”
In 2021, 173 people were killed and over 2,800 were hurt due to impaired driving on Maryland roadways.
Hogan said Maryland is doing all it can to bring those numbers down.
*With your support, we enacted Noah’s Law to require ignition interlock devices for anyone convicted of drunk driving in Maryland,” Hogan said, also citing the expansion of that law to “require ignition interlock systems that are equipped with a camera to ensure compliance.”
It was an honor to take part in the annual Maryland Remembers ceremony to pay tribute to Marylanders who lost their lives at the hands of an impaired driver. As the holiday season approaches, we remind Marylanders is that there is never an acceptable reason for driving impaired. pic.twitter.com/xXAWasgIrf
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) November 21, 2022
Also in 2021, over 15,430 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Hogan is optimistic the Drunk Driving Offenders Act will continue to help.
“To increase jail time for those convicted of vehicular homicide while under the influence from three years to five years and to increase the maximum jail time for repeat drunk and drugged drivers with prior convictions from five years to 10 years,” Hogan said.
With the holiday season comes a spike in impaired driving.
With more than 1,600 people arrested in Maryland from Thanksgiving through the New Year holiday for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Hogan announced that the Highway Safety Office received a grant in partnership with the Governor’s Highway Safety Association to offer $10 and Lyft ride-share credits to Marylanders across the state through New Year holiday to help them get home safely instead of driving under the influence.
