High BAC in Maryland? You Need an Ignition Interlock.

Some may think there’s a difference between buzzed driving, drunk driving and “super drunk” driving. Not that one type of drunk driving is necessarily more tolerable than the others, or any less dangerous, but that there should be different penalties for different “levels” of intoxicated driving. Maryland agrees that a drunk driver is a drunk driver, and once the .08 percent BAC threshold is met, that person is guilty of a criminal charge. However, Maryland does not punish all drunk drivers exactly the same, even when it comes to the state’s ignition interlock requirement.

At .15 percent BAC, a person is likely to:

• No longer feel “buzzed” and an increased amount of anxiety, anger or negativity overall.
• Lose physical coordination, including stumbling or falling while walking or standing.
• Have an increased difficulty reacting quickly to the physical world.
• Find speaking clearly difficult, if not impossible, as well as putting thoughts into words.
• Be aggressive, either towards others or while driving.
• Black out, even when behind the wheel of a car.

If a person’s BAC measures .15 percent or higher at the time of arrest for a DUI in Maryland, they will have no choice except to install an ignition interlock device on their vehicle. Because of the severe risks to others on the road, the choice to drink and drive is taken away and in its place remains an ignition interlock device. Maryland sees each attempt to drink and drive as a serious matter, and even at the lower BAC levels, a drunk driver will still have serious consequences to face. With a high BAC in Maryland, you are guaranteed an ignition interlock requirement with your DUI conviction… that is certainly something to consider when you are getting ready to head home after a night out with friends.