Baltimore Police Set to Enforce New Laws on Cell Phone and Seat Belt Use
In the wake of the passage of new laws in Maryland limiting the use of cell phones while driving, police have issued a statement indicating that the law will be strictly enforced, reported The Baltimore Sun. The announcement indicated that checkpoints would be set up starting in early October. Police said they will also use the checkpoints to monitor whether motorists are complying with a new law that requires all adult passengers to wear a seat belt. The enforcement is expected to be citywide.
In 2010, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill making it a “secondary” offense to use a handheld device while behind the wheel of a car, meaning that the law could only be enforced if there were other violations of the law. In 2013, the General Assembly upgraded the cell phone offense to a “primary” violation, giving law enforcement officers the authority to stop a motorist who breaks the cell phone law.
Maryland’s seat belt law previously required drivers and front-seat passengers to wear a restraint. The new law, however, makes it a “secondary” offense for an adult to ride in the backseat without a seat belt.
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