NEW CELL PHONE
AND SEAT BELT LAWS
Maryland's Cell Phone
Use Ban (TR 21–1124.2)
Effective October 1, 2013, Maryland’s cell phone law now
prohibits a driver from using a cell phone while a motor vehicle is in motion.
• Law enforcement officers can stop a driver solely for using a
cell phone – no other offense is needed. ◦ Drivers will receive a fine of up to:
▪ ▪ ▪$75 – first offense $125
– second offense $175 – third & subsequent offense
• Nationally, 80 percent of vehicle crashes involve some sort of
driver inattention.
• On average, more than 30,000 people in Maryland are injured annually
as a result of distracted driving crashes.
Maryland's Seat Belt Law
Effective October 1,
2013 Maryland has a primary
seat belt law for front seat occupants AND a secondary seat belt law for back
seat occupants.
• Tickets can be issued to drivers and front seat passengers even
if no other violation is observed. •Each person that is not
buckled up (driver and passenger) may receive a ticket of up to $50 for not
wearing a seatbelt.
• In the case where any passenger under the age of 16 years of age
is not buckled up, the driver will receive a ticket for each offense. For
instance, if a driver is stopped and not wearing a seat belt, and a passenger
under the age of 16 is also not restrained, the driver will receive a $50 adult
seat belt ticket for himself and a $50 ticket for the passenger.
• Seat belts save lives. Motorists are 75 percent less likely to
be killed in a rollover crash if they are buckled up.3
• For the period 2007-2011, 68,151 backseat occupants of passenger
vehicles were involved in a reported crash in Maryland. Of these, there were
127 fatalities, 75% of which were reported to be unbelted. Additionally, there
were 6,243 occupants who sustained a moderate or severe injury. Those who were
reported as unbelted were 67% more likely to sustain a moderate to fatal
injury.
NHTSA, Distracted Driving and Driver, Roadway, and
Environmental Factors University of Maryland, Baltimore ‐ National Study Center
for Trauma and EMS NHTSA, 2013 Click it or Ticket Fact Sheet University of
Maryland, Baltimore ‐ National Study Center for Trauma and EMS•
Belted drivers were 50%
more likely to sustain a moderate to fatal injury as the result of a motor
vehicle crash when the occupant seated directly behind them was unbelted as
compared to drivers who were seated in front of a belted occupant. 5
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Park the Phone Before
You Drive! Talking on a cell phone
or texting is a leading source of driver distraction.
Manage Your Time. Driving is not the time to talk or text on
a cell phone. Drive
Defensively. Just because you
don't drive distracted doesn't mean that others won't.
Ride Responsibly. If you are a passenger and a driver is
using a handheld cell phone, ask them to pull over or wait until they arrive at
the destination. Avoid causing distractions as well.
Buckle Up Every Time,
Day and Night, In Every Seat!
Motorists should buckle
up every time they go out, both day and night, and in all seating positions.
Wearing a seat belt is
your best defense against unsafe drivers. Buckling up is the single most
important step you can take to save your life in the event of a crash.
Law enforcement agencies across Maryland are prepared to ticket anyone not buckled up...no warnings and no
excuses.
Set a good example!
Children and young
drivers model adult behavior. Adults who use a handheld cell phone while
driving or who don’t buckle up are sending children the message that those
behaviors are acceptable.
For more information contact:
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
6601 Ritchie Highway, N.E. Glen Burnie, MD 21062 Contact: Buel Young, Organizational Relations,(410) 762-5188 http://www.mva.maryland.gov/
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