Call to Action Against Modified Exhausts & Dangerous Driving

If your sleep has been disturbed by the sounds of cars with modified exhausts or you’re concerned about recent incidents in which groups of motorists have gathered to engage in dangerous driving or impede traffic, now is the time to act. Senate Bill 612 is being considered this week, and while the time for public comment has closed, there’s still time to contact legislators and express your support for the bill.

The following message was sent by Prince George’s County Councilmember Tom Dernoga. Delegate Mary Lehman has expressed her support for the bill, as well:

Friends,
Please contact the State Delegates below and send this request to all of your friends, especially those in other Counties.
Dangerous driving, racing, modified mufflers and exhaust systems have proliferated out of control. Here are this weekend’s incidents.

Laurel — PGC Police Vehicle attacked
https://bit.ly/3u7Z55X
Baltimore — “video shows standstill traffic Saturday night in downtown Baltimore as some drivers performed dangerous burnouts and donuts, blocking traffic on the roads.”
https://bit.ly/3u9fpDi
Silver Spring — https://bit.ly/3J8fpYJ

Senator Beidle has SB 612 (Street Racing, Exhibition Driving, and Noise Abatement – Prohibited Acts, Enforcement, and Penalties) to provide enforcement tools for the police. Senate Bill (SB) 612 passed the Maryland Senate 47-0!

However, the Bill cannot get a hearing in the House of Delegates. It is now pending in the House Environment and Transportation Committee. We need as many residents as possible to contact the House, particularly the Speaker’s office and leadership team, the House Environment and Transportation Committee (ENT) Chair, and members of the ENT Committee to stress the need to move this legislation in this week. The 90-day session ends at midnight on Monday, April 11, but there is still time.

SB 612 calls for heavier punishments for violations and addresses:

Excessive, abrupt acceleration or deceleration of the motor vehicle;
Skidding, squealing, burning, or smoking of the tires of the motor vehicle;
Swerving or swaying of the motor vehicle from side to side while skidding;
Engine of the motor vehicle producing an unreasonably loud, raucous, or disturbing noise;
Grinding of the gears or the backfiring of the engine of the motor vehicle;
Any of the wheels of the motor vehicle losing contact with the ground.

You can help by getting neighbors and other friends across the state to send emails and make calls to the Speaker’s office, ENT Chair Kumar Barve’s office, and members of the House Environment and Transportation Committee to urge action. Please make your message to lawmakers personal but keep it short. Be sure to reference the Senate bill number and title.

House Speaker, Speaker ProTem and Majority Leader

adrienne.jones@house.state.md.us

sheree.sample.hughes@house.state.md.us

eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us

House Environment and Transportation Committee (ENT) Chair and Vice Chair

kumar.barve@house.state.md.us

dana.stein@house.state.md.us

ENT Members

marlon.amprey@house.state.md.us

carl.anderton@house.state.md.us

regina.boyce@house.state.md.us

barrie.ciliberti@house.state.md.us