Drivers Who Drink Beware: Maryland State Police Launch Crackdown

By Kirsten Petersen

Maryland State Police are launching a new initiative this week to identify impaired drivers and reduce fatalities on the road.

A team of seven state troopers will run the state’s DUI enforcement program, The State Police Impaired Driving Effort (SPIDRE), which will establish sobriety checkpoints and conduct patrols focusing on reducing car accidents due to impaired driving over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

SPIDRE has received funding for the next four years by the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Maryland Highway Safety Office.

The long term goal of the effort is to help the state eliminate fatalities on the road through the Toward Zero Deaths program. Toward Zero Deaths is a national initiative that seeks to bring about cultural change and strengthen leadership in ensuring highway safety.