These drivers from this state will soon begin to receive $60 fines for this behavior. Authorities across the country are cracking down hard on drivers who continue to not follow the laws of the road, thereby endangering the lives of other road users. These increases in the severity of associated convictions for drivers showcase that authorities are taking a zero-tolerance attitude towards unlawful driving behavior as well as to encourage drivers to think twice before breaking the law.
Authorities crack down on drivers for unlawful behavior
Increased fines, jail time convictions, and license suspension are just some of the associated penalties authorities are introducing for road traffic offenses previously not as severely punished compared to others. This decision to increase the severity of road traffic convictions is not taken lightly, with lawmakers needing to back the decision up with evidence-based reasoning drawn from the current realities on the roads.
While prevention and education interventions tactics are generally preferred in order to increase road safety as opposed to relying on punishment alone, oftentimes, authorities are forced into making these punishments more severe when traffic violations continue to persist despite other efforts. This crackdown on harsher penalties is ultimately intended to keep public safety a continued priority and to highlight the seriousness of all unlawful driving behaviors.
Recent examples of state authorities considering new penalties for specific driving practices include Ohio lawmakers considering a bill that would make it a fourth-degree misdemeanor for refusing to identify yourself to road traffic authorities in instances where you are pulled over for a traffic violation. If passed, you could be arrested immediately, with the associated penalty resulting in 30 days’ worth of jail time.
While not a driving behavior specifically, when residents refuse to identify who are they are authorities in instances where they have been caught committing a road traffic violation, it puts authorities in a difficult position, unsure whether or not they are interacting with someone who is attempting to evade legal authorities.
$60 fines for this behavior from these drivers in this state
The Maryland Safe Streets Act was recently updated in order to further help protect cyclists in Montgomery County, which has seen 110 cyclists involved in road traffic accidents over the past nine months. The updated legislation will now see drivers who stand, stop, or park in a designated bike lane be hit with a $60 fine.
“Dedicated bike lanes are critical safety infrastructure, but only if people can actually use them safely,” Councilmember Evan Glass, Chair of the Transportation & Environment Committee said in a November 4, 2025, press release.
Protecting other road users who are not vehicle drivers, such as cyclists, is necessary in order to encourage road users to adopt more sustainable means of transport. Guaranteeing that you are protected when using alternative means of transport encourages fewer drivers to use private passenger vehicles as their primary mode of transport.
Protecting all drivers and road users on the road
Protecting road users is a tireless effort and requires innovative and novel approaches from authorities to investigate a variety of solutions, which can see a future whereby road traffic accidents and fatalities are not the norm. However, initiatives like the new $60 fines from Maryland provide more futuristic solutions towards reducing the number of vehicle road users in general.
By prioritizing the safety of road users who use alternative methods of transportation, authorities encourage a future that is not so reliant on passenger vehicles. Sustainability is not limited to the adoption of electric and alternative engines in vehicles. Rather, it involves embracing transportation modes that do not require an engine at all, as well as scaling up the accessibility of public transportation systems so that fewer individuals feel the need to use a private vehicle.
