GLEN BURNIE, MD (August 30, 2021) – Twenty-five officers from 15 law enforcement agencies across the state graduated Friday from the University of Maryland’s (UMD) DUI Institute, a rigorous 40-hour program that develops leaders in the enforcement of alcohol-impaired driving laws. Since its inception, more than 450 officers have graduated from the program. This year’s class included graduates from the following agencies:
|
|
“We thank our DUI Institute graduates for their leadership and dedication, working every day to remove impaired drivers from our roads,” said Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administrator (MDOT MVA) Chrissy Nizer, who also serves as Governor Larry Hogan’s Highway Safety Representative. “Unfortunately, drunk and drugged driving remains one of the common causes of crashes in Maryland, leading to the loss of too many innocent lives. We are committed to getting drivers who irresponsibly choose to drive while impaired off the road, and the training these officers received is a critical step toward our goal of zero deaths on our roadways.”
From August 22 to August 27, DUI Institute participants learned the latest information on: the effectiveness of impaired driving countermeasures including ignition interlocks, DUI courts and sobriety checkpoints; police traffic management; the physiology of alcohol and its abuse/addiction; and courtroom testimony. Officers also received advanced training in conducting Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and practiced these techniques with volunteers. In its 18th year, the award-winning program was developed by the MDOT MVA Highway Safety Office, the UMD Department of Behavioral and Community Health, police officers and national experts. The DUI Institute is sponsored by the MDOT MVA Highway Safety Office and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“The DUI Institute is a terrific tool to keep frontline law enforcement professionals well trained to protect Maryland travelers,” MDOT Secretary Greg Slater said. “It’s also an outstanding partnership between police, transportation and highway safety agencies reflecting our shared mission to achieve zero highway deaths.”
To learn more about the MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office’s Zero Deaths campaign, visit zerodeathsmd.gov or like and follow @ZeroDeathsMD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
###