Over the weekend, members of the Maryland State Police Car Rally Task Force broke up 11 illegal car meetups and made seven arrests. Included among the 11 locations were two in Laurel:

  • 2:22 a.m. at 12705 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel
  • 3:25 a.m. at Konterra Drive & Sweitzer Lane, Laurel

The task force has been focused on investigating “exhibition driving events,” also know as “takeovers.” This often involves blocking off roads to perform stunts, disrupting traffic, causing property damage and posing risks to the public.

This has been in part made possible by new state legislation passed by Maryland General Assembly in May, sponsored by Delegate Mary Lehman from our District 21. The law increases penalties from $500 to $1,000 and prohibits actions like skidding, squealing, burning or smoking tires, swerving, or swaying while skidding/ drifting, purposefully revving engines and grinding gears.

I know this has been a start/ stop issue that’s just been growing in recent years (having heard it from my own house in the middle of the night multiple times), and happy to see the state stepping up enforcement. The City’s ability to enforce is partially hampered by the fact that the affected roads are often governed by the State or County and just outside the city limits, so this is good news indeed. And I’ll continue to look forward to quieter and safer nights ahead. 💤

(via Baltimore Sun)