FYI AAA alert on House Bill 363

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You and your State Senator must act now to make Maryland roads safer!
AAA Urges Marylanders to Support House Bill 363 Which Will Strengthen Vehicular Manslaughter Laws And Close Existing Loopholes
Please Contact Your Senator Today to Urge HB 363 to Be Passed Out of the Judicial Proceedings Committee
 
House Bill 363 will help ensure that those recklessly negligent drivers who kill and seriously injure others can be appropriately punished.    Maryland ’s current vehicular manslaughter statute requires prosecutors to show actual intent to kill, regardless of how irresponsible or reckless their driving may have been. 

This legislation increases penalties for those who drive in such a negligent manner that it results in a crash that kills someone, or in some cases, many.

Maryland's current law is routinely allowing some drivers to get away with murder on our roads. It is reprehensible that a motorist can drive a vehicle outrageously, and kill someone in the process through his or her own negligence, and then get away merely with a fine or a traffic ticket. We are not referring to simple negligence, but negligence that is so egregious that it exceeds ordinary negligence, such as the intentional violation of several traffic laws that lead to the death of someone.

The auto club is advocating once again to pass this important legislation, to change the penal law, and call attention to Maryland's extremely lenient vehicular manslaughter laws. The loopholes that exist allow those who drive in a criminally negligent manner on Maryland roads and kill innocent people to escape without serious sanctions. For the sake of the victims and their families, it is the right thing to do and it's the right time to do it.

Over the years, AAA has seen many killers on Maryland's highways go virtually unpunished for the heinous crimes they committed behind the wheel because the standard for vehicular homicide and manslaughter are so high. Because the standard is so high, such cases are very difficult to prosecute. HB 363 will at least provide a middle-ground and criminal conviction instead of a simple traffic citation for negligent traffic offenses that result in death.

HB 363 passed in the House Chamber and the bill is now in the hands of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. AAA Mid-Atlantic encourages you to take action by filling out the information below and sending a letter to your Senator asking the Judicial Proceedings Committee to vote in favor of HB 363 so the legislation will proceed to the Chamber for a full vote.

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Baltimore Spokes
https://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20110329124712219