Maryland Labor Day Driving Safety: Sober Rides, Seat Belts And Extra Time On The Road

CALIFORNIA, Md. — Labor Day weekend brings road trips, cookouts, waterfront gatherings and a final stretch of summer travel for Maryland families. Whether the destination is Southern Maryland, Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington or beyond, a few decisions before departure can make a holiday drive safer.

The basics are simple: never drive impaired, make sure everyone is buckled and allow enough time to travel without rushing. This year, state officials say the first of those carries added weight.

Plan For A Sober Ride Before Celebrating

The Maryland Department of Transportation and Maryland State Police are stepping up impaired-driving enforcement ahead of Labor Day weekend, the agencies said in a joint release, as the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” between Memorial Day and Labor Day closes out a season in which troopers have already removed more than 3,500 suspected impaired drivers from the road. Nearly 800 people have died in Maryland impaired-driving crashes over the past five years.

“Impaired driving is not a mistake. It is a choice, and it is a crime with consequences that extend beyond an arrest,” said Motor Vehicle Administrator Chrissy Nizer, who also serves as Gov. Wes Moore’s Highway Safety Representative. “Every choice to drive impaired puts lives at risk and can leave families and communities forever changed.”

“Impaired driving continues to be one of the leading causes of crashes we investigate, endangering the lives of everyone traveling and working on our roadways,” added Maj. Eric Corbin, assistant chief of the state police Field Operations Bureau.

The state push coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, under which law enforcement nationwide is increasing patrols from Aug. 19 through Labor Day. The federal data behind it: “In 2024, 30% of all U.S. traffic fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver, claiming 11,904 lives,” and fatal collisions involving an alcohol-impaired driver “occurred at a rate three times higher at night.”

Alcohol, cannabis and some prescription and over-the-counter medications all affect judgment, coordination and reaction time. The safest rule is to decide on transportation before drinking or using any impairing substance, so the decision never has to be made later. Options include a designated sober driver, a taxi or ride-hailing service, public transportation or staying overnight. Hosts should make sure every guest has a sober way home. Anyone unsure whether a medication affects driving should ask a doctor or pharmacist, and combining substances adds risk even when a person feels capable.

Seat Belts Matter On Every Trip

Seat belts belong on every drive, whether it is a few blocks to a neighborhood gathering or a longer trip across the state, and passengers should stay buckled until the vehicle is parked. In Maryland, that is the driver’s legal responsibility for young passengers: “It is the driver’s responsibility to make sure all occupants under 16 are correctly buckled up,” according to the Maryland Department of Health.

Under Maryland’s Child Passenger Safety Law, a child under 2 must ride rear-facing unless the child has outgrown the seat’s height or weight limit; a child under 8 “must ride in a car seat or booster seat, per the car seat instructions, unless the child is 4 feet, 9 inches or taller”; and a child between 8 and 16 “must be secured in a car seat, booster seat, or vehicle seat belt.” The seat “must be used and installed according to the car seat and vehicle manuals.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds that children should stay properly buckled in the back seat until age 13.

A rushed departure is not a reason to skip checking buckles or car-seat positioning.

Give Yourself More Time On Maryland Roads

Holiday travel makes familiar routes less predictable, whether on the corridors linking St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties to the Washington region or on the roads to Annapolis, Baltimore and the Eastern Shore. The Maryland Transportation Authority expects “heavy traffic volume across state toll facilities from Friday, Sept. 4, through Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7, particularly along the U.S. 50 corridor” between the Western and Eastern shores.

Build in extra time rather than counting on an ideal arrival, and check conditions before leaving. CHART Web is “Maryland’s official 511 Traveler Information service,” providing “reliable, current traffic and road closure information, as well as weather related traffic events and conditions.” Set navigation before the car moves, and let a passenger handle route changes.

Leaving early also removes the temptation to speed or tailgate when traffic backs up. The state’s enforcement numbers show how common that is: “Enforcement teams have also cited more than 4,600 drivers traveling at least 30 mph above posted speed limits this year, along with nearly 700 drivers documented at speeds exceeding 100 mph.”

Prepare The Vehicle Before A Longer Drive

Before a longer trip, check tire condition and pressure, fuel or battery charge, lights and windshield visibility, and fix any known mechanical problem rather than putting it off. Keep a phone charger and weather-appropriate supplies aboard, and plan for the needs of children, older adults or pets.

If the vehicle breaks down, the MDTA advises motorists to “pull off the roadway if possible and call #77 for assistance.” Other drivers have obligations too: under Maryland’s Move Over law, “drivers approaching any stopped vehicle with hazard lights must slow down or move into an adjacent lane if safe to do so.”

Fatigue, Distraction And Vulnerable Road Users

A sober driver still needs to be alert. Long days, late-night celebrations and early departures leave motorists too tired to drive well, and anyone struggling to stay awake should stop in a safe place rather than push through. Phones are the other avoidable distraction; set music and navigation before departure and put the phone away.

Late-summer weather also puts motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians on the road at the same time, and with schools back in session, children are walking and biking near roads again. Scan carefully before turning or changing lanes, slow down in rain or low light, and leave room to react.

Make A Labor Day Travel Plan

A holiday driving plan does not need to be complicated: decide who will drive, where everyone will sleep if alcohol is part of the celebration and what route you expect to take. Check the vehicle and the conditions, buckle every passenger and put distractions away. The same habits work for beach trips, family gatherings and everyday travel the rest of the year.

Related Articles From The BayNet

• Traffic Anticipated During Labor Day Weekend; See Best Times To Travel In Maryland
• MDTA – The Best Times To Travel For Labor Day Weekend

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