Maryland will have a new tool to keep drunken drivers off the roads starting Tuesday.
“It's been a long, long journey, and it shouldn't have been.”
The long journey for Rich Leotta started when his son Noah died in 2015. The Montgomery County Police officer was hit and killed while on patrol by a drunk driver.
“I think about Noah all the time,” Leotta said. “I know he's with me.”
Noah's Law passed in 2016, requiring ignition interlock devices — like breathalyzers — to be installed in the cars of those convicted of drunk driving in Maryland.
But there was a loophole that allowed thousands of drunk drivers to avoid the program every year. If they were given what's called probation before judgment, as many are for a first DUI offense, then they weren't required to participate.
The exemption applied to about 50% of cases statewide.
This past session, Maryland lawmakers closed the loophole, requiring all DUI offenders to participate.
Under the new law, experts predict another 5,700 will be required to get into the ignition interlock program.
supporters say the program is not about punishment — it's about changing behavior.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who have the ignition interlock device are less likely to drive drunk again in the future.
“But we still have a lot of work to do to make sure every state requires interlock devices beginning with the first offense,” said Stacey Stewart with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Kathleen Riley with Smart Start demonstrated how the device works. If it detects alcohol, you can't start your car.
“In the state of Maryland, we also have cameras, so it identifies who is trying to take the test,” she said.
For Leotta, the journey isn't over. He's working to get legislation passed by Congress to require interlock laws across the country.
According to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, ignition interlocks prevented more than 76,000 drinking and driving attempts in Maryland last year.
All DUI offenders are required to take part in the Ignition Interlock System Program starting Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Convicted drivers will have to install the system and use it for at least 180 days.
Under a new change to the law, all drivers convicted of alcohol-related offense will have to get interlock devices installed in their vehicles.
