FREDERICK, MD - It's always been illegal not to stop at a Maryland intersection with non-working traffic lights, and now, drivers can get penalized for it.

Starting Monday, drivers who don't stop at intersections with the lights out can get a $90 fine and two points on their driving record.

If they cause an accident, they could receive a $130 fine and three points on their driving record.

"The practice is when you come to a non-working intersection before, they expected you to stop. We had other violations we could charge you with, but this just gives the state more teeth to make sure that the drivers are adhering to the law," said Lt. Clark Pennington, with the Frederick City Police Department.

The driver must stop and then yield to any pedestrian or driver already in the intersection.

"The new law states that if you approach an intersection with a non-functioning traffic light, all drivers are required to stop at either a stop line or prior to the intersection, clear the intersection, make sure that it is safe to proceed, and then proceed through it," Pennington said.

Police hope the new law will make the roads safer.

"It's every operators responsibility to ensure that they're driving their vehicle safely and they're ensuring that all laws are adhered to, so I think that this law is important because it just reinforces the state's commitment to safety," Pennington said.

If you're not sure who got to the intersection first, you should yield to the driver on your right.