Maryland Injury Attorney Blog
As experienced Baltimore County car accident injury lawyers who’ve served the people of Maryland for decades, we’re well aware of the dangers of driving in the Old Line State. From Baltimore City streets, to our beloved Chesapeake Bay Bridge, to our highways and back roads — all are travelled by dangerous drivers, all fraught with driving hazards. If you live and work here in Maryland, like us, you know driving can be a daily challenge.
Our clients in and around greater Baltimore, Md. have been telling us for years about the incredible antics of local drivers. And we’ve seen our fair share of incredibly bad drivers — the speeders, weavers, tailgaters, lane changers, stop sign runners, pass-on-the-right siders, texters and cell phone chatters, angry/distracted/impaired drivers — you name it. The kind of Maryland drivers who can cause serious and fatal auto accidents.
Now a new study proves what we Baltimore injury attorneys and our clients already knew to be true: Maryland drivers are not at the top of the class when it comes to knowledge of road rules.
In an article indelicately titled, “Maryland drivers among dumbest in U.S.” (they said it, not us!), the Baltimore Business Journal reports on the findings of a new GMAC Insurance study. The study surveyed licensed drivers 16 to 65 years old in 50 states and Washington, DC, about their knowledge of their states’ basic driving rules and regulations. Maryland ranked 49th — skidding down from 20th place in 2010. The report surmises that 1 in 5 U.S. drivers would fail their state’s written driver’s license test. For Maryland, that number is one-third of drivers. ouch.
The study also found that the most dangerous driving exists in the Northeast, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s driven from Baltimore to Boston. That’s not to say all Maryland drivers are traffic accidents waiting to happen. But the study results aren’t reassuring. But hey, to make us all feel a little better — our neighbors in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, came in last. The smartest drivers? Kansas. But we’re not there. This is Baltimore, folks. Drive defensively!
How smart are you when it comes to knowledge of Maryland’s state driving laws and safety regulations? See the Maryland DMV and Driver’s License Handbook.
Sources:
Maryland drivers among dumbest in U.S.
Baltimore Business Journal May 26, 2011
GMAC Insurance Study: Nearly 1 in 5 American Drivers Unfit for the Road
GMAC Press Release May 26, 2011
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Baltimore, Maryland Auto Accident Liability : Civil Lawsuits vs. Criminal Cases
Baltimore County Democrat Pushing Maryland Bill to Toughen Distracted Driving Law