Motor Vehicles - Reckless, Negligent, and Aggressive Driving (Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act)
HB744, the Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act, revises Maryland’s motor vehicle laws governing reckless driving, negligent driving, and aggressive driving. The bill adds a new reckless driving trigger for operating a vehicle at least 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, while keeping the existing reckless driving standards based on wanton or willful disregard for safety. It also lowers the threshold for aggressive driving from three qualifying traffic offenses to two, and expands the list of offenses that can count toward an aggressive driving charge to include several pedestrian, school bus, bicycle, motorcycle, lane-use, and stop-sign related violations.
The bill also adjusts penalties and points assessments. It assigns 2 points to negligent driving and 6 points to speeding 30 miles per hour or more over the limit, and it sets the maximum penalty for aggressive driving at a $1,000 fine. Reckless driving remains punishable by up to 60 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, while negligent driving is punishable by a fine of up to $750. The act takes effect October 1, 2025, and amends the Transportation Article provisions governing driver points and traffic offenses.
HB744 changes Maryland Transportation Article §§ 16-402, 21-901.1, and 21-901.2 by creating a specific high-speed reckless driving offense, revising the point system for certain violations, and broadening the conduct that can support an aggressive driving charge. It increases enforcement tools against dangerous driving behavior and may expose more drivers to criminal penalties, license points, fines, and possible jail time, particularly for excessive speeding and repeated moving violations.
The available voting history shows strong, unanimous support in both chambers, with the House passing the bill 137-0 and the Senate passing it 46-0. No committee transcripts were provided, but the final votes suggest broad bipartisan agreement that the bill addresses serious roadway safety concerns and strengthens penalties for dangerous driving.
No recorded committee debate or dissent is included in the materials, and the floor votes were unanimous, so there is no visible legislative controversy in the provided record. The main policy choice reflected in the bill is a tougher approach to dangerous driving—especially by treating extreme speeding as reckless driving and by making aggressive driving easier to charge by reducing the number of qualifying offenses from three to two.