Full Statute Name:  West's Annotated Code of Maryland. Transportation. Title 21. Vehicle Laws--Rules of the Road. Subtitle 11. Miscellaneous Rules. § 21-1101. Unattended vehicle requirements

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Primary Citation:  MD Code, Transportation, § 21-1101 Country of Origin:  United States Last Checked:  November, 2023 Date Adopted:  1977 Historical: 
Summary: This Maryland law relates to unattended vehicles (i.e., a person must not leave a running motor vehicle unattended). When a cat or dog is left in the unattended vehicle of an on-duty law enforcement officer or an animal control officer, the provisions of that subsection do not apply to the law enforcement officer or the animal control officer.

In general

(a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a person driving or otherwise in charge of a motor vehicle may not leave it unattended until the engine is stopped, the ignition locked, the key removed, and the brake effectively set.

Vehicles on grades

(b) A person driving or otherwise in charge of a motor vehicle may not leave the motor vehicle unattended until, if the vehicle is on a grade, the front wheels are turned to the curb or side of the highway.

Cats or dogs left in unattended vehicles of officers

(c)(1) When a cat or dog is left in the unattended vehicle of an on-duty law enforcement officer or an animal control officer, the provisions of subsection (a) of this section do not apply to the law enforcement officer or the animal control officer.

(2) Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to a person who:

(i) Is in charge of a motor vehicle that has had the engine started using a remote keyless ignition system and has been operating unattended for up to 5 consecutive minutes when the vehicle is not in motion; or

(ii) Allows a motor vehicle that is locked and is on private property not open to the public to operate unattended for up to 5 consecutive minutes when the vehicle is not in motion.

Credits
Added by Acts 1977, c. 14, § 2, eff. July 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1986, c. 472, § 1; Acts 1988, c. 296; Acts 2015, c. 252, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2015.
Formerly Art. 66 ½, § 11-1101.

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