Maryland
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in Maryland
In 2008, 103 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in Maryland. Over the past five years, Maryland crashes involving teen drivers claimed 555 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in Maryland
The current GDL law in Maryland includes the following components:
- A three-stage licensing system beginning at age 15 years and 9 months for learner’s permit, age 16 years and 6 months for the intermediate stage, and age 18 for full licensure
- A mandatory 9 month holding period for the learner’s permit stage
- A minimum of 60 hours of supervised practice driving during the learner’s permit stage, at least 10 of which must be at night
- A prohibition on unsupervised nighttime driving between midnight and 5 a.m. during the intermediate stage
- A passenger restriction prohibiting passengers younger than age 18 for the first 5 months after licensure (secondary enforcement)
- A prohibition on non-emergency use of cell phones during the learner’s permit and intermediate stages (secondary enforcement)
- A prohibition on texting while driving for all drivers.
These changes are needed to improve Maryland’s GDL law and meet the requirements of the STANDUP Act
- Require age 16 for entry into the learner’s permit stage
- Extend restrictions teen drivers through age 17
- Strengthen the passenger restriction to prohibit more than one non-familial passenger under the age of 21 unless a licensed driver over age 21 is in the vehicle, for the entire intermediate stage through age 17
