ANNAPOLIS, Md. — After a long battle before the Maryland State Legislature, some changes are going in effect for those convicted of drunk driving.
Starting October 1 at midnight, all DUI offenders will be required to have an ignition interlock system installed in their vehicle. The system mandates a driver test below legal intoxication levels before their car will start.
The modification is a follow-up to Noah's Law, a 2016 bill named after Noah Leotta, a Montgomery County Police officer killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver.
While Noah's law required those convicted of DUI to have an ignition interlock system, a loophole allowed anyone off the hook who received a sentence of probation before judgment.
RELATED: Advocates push to close loophole in Noah's Law
Nearly 50 percent of drunk driving cases are settled with a Probation Before Judgment ruling.
So now with the revised law, it wont matter, offenders will still need to have the ignition interlock system installed for at least 180 days without any violations before it can be removed.
Over the past five years in Maryland, nearly 800 people were killed and 15,000 were injured in crashes involving drunk drivers.
In 2023 alone ignition interlocks reportedly stopped more than 8,100 drunk driving attempts.
