HB 291 looks like another bill we should support, any comments?
Synopsis:
Making it a misdemeanor for a person to cause the death of another as a result of the person’s driving, operating, or controlling a vehicle or vessel in a criminally negligent manner; establishing the circumstances under which a person is considered to act in a criminally negligent manner for purposes of the Act; establishing that it is not an offense under the Act for a person to cause the death of another as a result of the person’s driving, operating, or controlling a vehicle or vessel in a negligent manner; etc.
https://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0291.htm
oldId.20070215133436815
From our mail:
Although the devil is in the details, it sounds like
bicyclists should support HB 291. Presently, when a
driver in Md causes the death of another person,
he/she only receives a $500 fine unless the driver was
conclusively drunk, acted deliberately, or committed
many violations. For example, the driver going 50 MPH
on Woodlawn Ave(30 mile limit) who lost control of his
car on a dry sunny day crashing into people waiting on
the sidewalk for a bus – and killing four -only
received a $500 fine for each person he killed. No
jail time. Baltimore County prosecutor tried hard to
get the negligent motorist jail time, but Md’s traffic
law was too weak. Most states have a negligence
homicide law that the prosecuting attorney can use in
these circumstances to get the negligent driver jail
time. I believe this law would give Md a badly needed
tool to see that justice is done.