Dec 8, 2009 6:32 pm US/Eastern
Md. Gets Good News In Fight Against Drunk Driving
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Maryland's fight against drunk driving gets some good news. A new study shows deadly drunk driving crashes are down. It also ranks Maryland among the states with the lowest fatality rates.
Derek Valcourt looks at what is behind the change and why some say we still have a long way to go.
December is Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. But River Hill football player Steven Dankos, 17, was killed last month in what police label a drunk driving accident.
Dankos' death is the latest DUI fatality on Maryland roads, but new statistics show the number of deadly DUI accidents are down 12.5 percent in Maryland, from 178 deaths in 2007 to 152 in 2008.
"We have to keep that momentum going," said Greg Shipley, Maryland State Police.
State Police credit education and alcohol treatment programs, along with heavy local and state law enforcement patrols.
"There are 24,000 DUI arrests in Maryland per year. That's 2,000 per month. That's 500 drunk drivers out there each week somewhere in the state of Maryland who got arrested," Shipley said.
Caroline Cash with Mothers Against Drunk Driving appreciates the decline, but warns Maryland has a long way to go. She says 152 people being killed is 152 too many.
"We've got to be taking serious action and there have to be serious consequences when you commit this crime, so that we see that number drastically lowered," Cash said.
While the federal report shows promise, Baltimore County officials say they're already seeing a slight uptick in DUI fatalities this year. There have been 15 so far, compared to 12 in 2008.
Family members of drunk driving victims gathered in Towson recently for a ceremony covering a Christmas tree with ribbons for each drunk driving victim, including Debbie Hardy's daughter, Janet. The teenager was killed by a drunk driver six years ago.
"Every day that I live is a day longer from the time that I held her last," Hardy said.
Another sobering reminder of the DUI dangers will come Wednesday morning when MADD joins with state officials in Annapolis for a special "Maryland Remembers" ceremony that will honor all of the state's victims of DUI accidents.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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