Case for Support
Join Us in the Fight Against Impaired Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
MADD National Ambassadors
Contents
01
Introducing MADD’s National Ambassadors
pg. 03
About MADD 02
pg. 04
The Problem 03
pg. 06
04
Our Strategy
pg. 07
05
The MADD® Network
pg. 08
MADD Sports 06
pg. 09
Our Need 07
pg. 10
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HALT Impaired Driving Alliance
pg. 12
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Mobilizing Communities
pg. 14
Underage Substance Use Education + Prevention 10
pg. 16
11
MADD’s Programs
pg. 18
Equity in Traffic Safety Enforcement 12
pg. 20
13
Victim/Survivor Pathways
pg. 22
14 The Road to
pg. 26
No More Victims
Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
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Introducing MADD’s National Ambassadors
Many Voices, Unified Mission With a staggering 34% surge in drunk driving over the past decade, MADD launched a National Ambassador Program earlier this year to significantly expand our grassroots efforts to reach more high-risk audiences and local communities nationwide. MADD’s National Ambassador Program amplifies the voices of volunteers who represent a wide range of stories and experiences — each with a personal connection to the tragedies of impaired driving. By deploying an array of many voices, this initiative enhances MADD’s ability to engage across generations, geographies, and communities – fostering greater mobilization, change, and impact.
MADD’s inaugural class of National Ambassadors: Tammy Duffy, Sheila Lockwood, Prisca Osunsan, Darlene Peshlakai, Michelle Ramsey, Erin Rollins, and Clara Shelton are each committed to creating dialogue that leads to change. They are excited to raise awareness and inspire engagement, advance local and national advocacy priorities, participate in fundraising and partner events, elevate MADD’s chorus of voices on social media, and much more.
More information about the MADD National Ambassador program: madd.org/ambassadors or you can follow the exciting developments via social media on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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About MADD
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has been a trailblazer in the fight against drunk driving since its founding in 1980. As one of the most successful public health and safety organizations in the US, MADD’s advocacy and grassroots efforts have played a pivotal role in transforming public perceptions and enacting life-saving legislation. Our impact has been significant, leading to the introduction of stricter drunk driving laws, the adoption of the 21 minimum drinking age law in all 50 states, and the lowering of the legal blood alcohol concentration limit.
The law requires a new national safety standard for state-of-the-art smart technology in all new cars by 2027, which will ultimately end impaired driving and save more than 10,000 lives per year. 1 home from a family vacation. It is through their story and legacy that the Honoring Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate (HALT) Drunk Driving Act was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in 2021. MADD’s nearly 45 years of grassroots activism is a model among social impact organizations, and we show no signs of slowing down. In fact, the organization’s single most important piece of legislation was passed in 2021 in honor of the Abbas Family – Issam, Rima, Ali, Isabella, and Giselle who were killed by a wrong-way drunk driver on the way
Since MADD’s inception, drunk driving deaths are down 40%.
1. Farmer, C. (2021) Lives saved by in-vehicle alcohol detection systems. Traffic Injury Prevention. 10. 1080-15389588.2020.1836366. 2020/11/12 04
Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
About MADD
Our Mission: MADD’s mission is to end drunk and drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking. Strategic Purpose: MADD believes in a world where everyone is safe to live, work, and play. We are a movement of caring individuals with a shared purpose to end the devastation of drunk and drugged driving, which is both a violent crime and a health and safety issue that affects every community.
We commit to honor MADD’s history and continuously evolve to save lives in a changing world. We will expand our work in prevention, relentlessly advocate for necessary changes, and engage across generations and communities. We will consistently show up for victims/survivors. We will use technology, data, and best practices to delivery life-changing solutions. Our voices and experiences are our strength, and our compassion is our fuel.
We invite everyone to join our movement of advocates and changemakers. Together, we will not stop until we create a safer future for all and a world in which impairment puts no lives at risk. We will become a nation of No More Victims.
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
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The Problem
The number of people dying on our roads is at a 17-year high. Nearly one-third of all crashes result from drunk driving. We are amid a crisis on our nation’s roadways with one alcohol-related death every 39 minutes, 37 people every day, and more than 13,000 alcohol-related traffic deaths in 2022. Two out of three people will be impacted by drunk driving in their lifetime. 2 These crashes did not have to happen. Despite our remarkable progress to decrease alcohol-impaired driving deaths since the 1980s, this epidemic continues to plague our nation while societal challenges are arguably more formidable than in the past. This is not only a social problem,
but also an economic issue. The effects of this 100% preventable crime range from deaths and injuries, oftentimes permanently disabling, to billions of dollars in property damage and loss of work productivity annually. 4 Not to mention the cost of human suffering in terms of psychological and emotional distress, grief over the loss of life or full physical and mental capabilities, as well as the staggering turmoil felt by families, friends, and the community. Every day MADD is on the front lines of this issue working to solve the problem through marshaling collective action and broad coalitions, prevention programming, evidence-based data, and technology.
14,000
13,617 13,524
12,000
11,654
10,880
10,710
10,196
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
2017
Alcohol-Impaired Crash Fatalities 3 2018 2019 2020 2021
2022
13,524 fatalities in 2022 More than 347,000 Daily incidents of drunk driving
Nearly 400,000 injuries in 2022
Ken and Claudia Snyder - Parents of Katie Snyder Evans Killed by a drunk driver on October 6, 2017
Drunk driving is at a 17-year high
2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Traffic Safety Facts, May 2022 3. U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 4. Enhancing Vehicle Technology to Prevent Drunk Driving. 116th U.S. Congress. (2019).
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Our Strategy
At Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we’re focused on one goal: ending impaired driving for good. To achieve this vision, we will advance the following critical priorities:
Accelerating equitable policy change and rulemaking capability to implement impaired driving prevention technology in cars that will eliminate impaired driving.
Advocating for legislation proven to save lives and prevent injuries.
Preventing underage drinking and other drug use and impaired driving through education and awareness programs.
Promoting fair and equitable traffic safety enforcement of hazardous driving behaviors.
Serving Victims/Survivors who in turn serve as leaders in educating the public and policymakers about the realities of impaired driving and underage drinking and other drug use.
Alex Otte, Former MADD National President Run over by an intoxicated boat operator on July 2, 2010
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The MADD® Network
With someone in the U.S. killed or injured by a drunk driver every 78 seconds, our nation is facing a public health crisis; therefore, MADD has identified a dire need to bring our efforts back to the forefront of public discourse to help accelerate our work. This year we are taking bold and impactful steps to address this alarming situation through the deployment of The MADD Network , a broad public education and awareness campaign with a clear call-to-action for public engagement in solutions that will stop the impaired driving crisis plaguing our roadways. From industry, to institution, to individual – this first-of-its kind campaign aims to bring together diverse, committed supporters of MADD who share in a vision of eliminating drunk and drug-impaired driving for good. Key to the MADD Network’s success is identifying, engaging, and establishing from the start, a diverse
membership who will help facilitate the large-scale adoption of change that MADD aims to achieve through our bold strategic goals. Through financial support and awareness initiatives, members of the MADD Network will each use their platform to educate their unique community about the dangers of impaired driving and commit to making an impact. In building this national network of supporters dedicated to MADD’s mission, the positive impact and multiplying effects of member activities when directly aligned with MADD’s own efforts will be demonstrated and tangible at both the national and local levels. The power of the MADD Network membership comes from each partner – whether a corporation, a foundation, or an individual - using their individual platform to help educate their sphere of influence – their unique community - about the continued dangers that still exist around impaired driving, underage drinking and other drug use, and the legislative efforts needed to effect real change.
As we embark on one of our most significant efforts yet, we humbly invite you to become a Member of the MADD Network at info@madd.org.
As a member of the MADD Network, you will be helping to shape the next phase in our nation’s fight to end this pervasive public health crisis that has been led by MADD over the past four decades. This is an opportunity to help shape societal change, influence your consumer’s behaviors, and effect real change nationwide - while also making
an impact in the communities where you operate. Together, we can build a safer future on our roadways and in our communities.
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MADD Sports
#MakeMADDChoices
We recently launched MADD Sports, a groundbreaking program under The MADD Network, designed to leverage the influential platform of sports to raise awareness and support for our mission to eliminate impaired driving, support victims, and prevent underage drinking.
Our first partnership was unveiled at a special event during the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas, with the University of Arizona’s Women’s Basketball team — a creative collaboration designed to engage student-athletes in promoting safe decisions among college students. We will continue to use the MADD Sports brand to amplify our reach and make a lasting impact on communities across the nation through strategic professional partnerships. Through strategic partnerships with sports organizations, educational institutions, and community leaders, we will implement a range of initiatives including educational campaigns, athlete engagement, and community outreach. Join the MADD Sports Team at maddsports@madd.org.
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Our Need
MADD’s future is unique in possessing the passion, expertise, and experience needed to confront this massive crisis. But given this immense scale, we cannot do so alone. As we embark on our most significant effort yet, the fundamental connection is you. We have established three overarching priorities to drive progress towards a future of No More Victims — mobilize people, create change, and
grow capabilities. These priorities are connected — achieving our long-term mission depends on confronting today’s greatest impediments to advancement. Marshaling action to address them demands new, inclusive, and ambitious partnerships; investments in our people; and identifying and leveraging innovative resources and technology.
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
Our Need
Your financial support is vital and will allow us to activate under the following strategic imperatives:
Mobilize People:
Build awareness, affinity, and action around the issue of drunk and drug-involved driving harms and its impact across youth and diverse communities. Empower youth and diverse communities to create change in norms, policy, and behavior toward ending drunk and drugged driving. Engage volunteers in the MADD movement - coming together to change laws, stop injuries, and save lives.
Create Change:
Build thought leadership and partnership capability to complete rulemaking for HALT. Drive policy and research that saves lives and prevents injuries. Create pathways for victims/survivors to find purpose in MADD.
Grow Capabilities:
Improve operational infrastructure and strengthen capacity by allocating sufficient funding, staffing, and other resources to support our work to end impaired driving. Support exceptional and diverse workforce and culture aligning with our organizational values of mission first, accountability, inclusion, integrity, recognition, and collaboration. Increase revenue to advance our mission.
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HALT Impaired Driving Alliance
Objective:
Accelerate equitable policy change and rulemaking capability to implement evidence-based technology in cars that will eliminate impaired driving. Driver impairment by alcohol or drugs is a chronic public health crisis, killing more than 13,000 people in 2022 in the U.S. An unprecedented and ambitious new federal mandate included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (signed into law on November 15, 2021) could reduce impaired driving deaths by more than 10,000 annually by requiring that all new passenger vehicles be equipped with driver impairment detection technology as early as 2027. In-vehicle impairment detection technology is recognized by safety and health experts as having the potential to break through barriers to progress and make substantial further gains in reducing drunk driving deaths. Such technology has been in development since 2008 under a research program jointly funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the auto industry.
One of these technologies is a breath measurement device that can accurately gauge impairment by sampling air in the vicinity of the driver, and the other is a transdermal device that can measure blood alcohol content through the skin when the driver touches the start button or other vehicle controls. Researchers predict that the devices will be ready for consumer use in 2024. 5 Additionally, experts predict that driver monitoring systems, some of which are already available in cars, could also prevent crashes due to driver impairment. 6 The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that if fitted on all new cars and fully implemented, impaired driving prevention systems could save more than 10,000 lives per year. Reductions of this magnitude in drunk driving deaths are not matched by other interventions, prompting our focus on impairment detection technology as one of our strategies for ending impaired driving for good. 8
“Every moment that goes by that we need to consider this [technology], is another life or lives that we lose to a drunk or impaired driver.”
Rana Abbas Taylor Sister | Aunt | Sister-in-Law Issam, Rima, Ali, Isabella, and Giselle Abbas Killed by a drunk driver on January 6, 2019
5. Enhancing Vehicle Technology to Prevent Drunk Driving. 116th U.S. Congress. (2019) 6. Bellan, R. (2021, Aug 5). Drunk driving provision could fuel demand for driver monitoring technology. TechCrunch 7. Farmer, C. (2021) Lives saved by in-vehicle alcohol detection systems. Traffic Injury Prevention. 10. 1080-15389588.2020.1836366.2020/11/12 8. Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The path to zero: Campaign to eliminate drunk driving. Accessed on March 2, 2022 12
Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
HALT Impaired Driving Alliance
The Congressional mandate for driver impairment prevention technology in all new cars places an unprecedented public health victory within reach, but the outcome remains vulnerable to special interests until the required Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) is completed by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). The HALT Act requires NHTSA to complete a rulemaking by November 2024 to set a standard for all new cars to come equipped with passive advanced impaired driving prevention technology. Automakers have two to three years to comply once the standard is set. MADD is helping to make cars safer for everyone.
To take in-vehicle impairment detection technology across the finish line, we must invest in our work today. Lasting progress requires us to mobilize collective action with government and form new linkages with the private sector and local stakeholders. Your financial investment will allow us to:
Launch a broad-scale awareness campaign to garner public acceptance of the technology as well as create a sense of urgency to complete the rulemaking. Engage traffic safety and technology experts to aid in the rulemaking process, navigate committees, and strengthen partnerships with bipartisan allies on Capitol Hill. Provide continued coalition-building which includes advocacy coordination and training. Collect and use data to inform, address, and implement countermeasures, evidence-based strategies, and best practices to achieve roadways with zero impaired drivers. Support the cohort of experts working to advise on the sufficiency of technology options for achieving the performance requirements of impairment detection systems.
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Mobilizing Communities
Objective:
Advocate for grassroots legislation proven to save lives and prevent injuries Across our 44-year history, MADD has worked to solve the defining problems of impaired driving. Today’s challenges are defined by large, intersecting issues that imperil decades of development gains. To drive progress, we will align on specific objectives and adopt new strategies to achieve them across all 50 states and Puerto Rico where we work. MADD has led advocacy efforts to enact more than 200 state laws and groundbreaking federal laws such as the 21 minimum drinking age and per se blood alcohol limits. MADD’s Advocacy Network includes victims/ survivors across generations and communities who have had a meaningful and fulfilling experience with MADD and they feel moved to share their experiences and offer their time to
engage in furthering our mission. As ambassadors of our work, they deliver key mission-related messaging through interactions with the media, attendance at industry conferences, giving testimony at legislative and regulatory hearings, and addressing our internal and external stakeholders. From protecting high visibility traffic safety enforcement, and advocating for ignition interlocks for all offenders, to supporting state efforts for a .05 BAC, to Bentley’s Law which enables surviving children access to financial remuneration after the death or injury of a parent from a drunk or drunk driving crash, MADD community-based activists are working to pass laws that prevent impaired driving and protect road users where they live and work. MADD is also changing the perception of drunk and drugged driving, framing it not as an “accident” but as a crash and a violent crime.
Erica Linn, Daughter Henrietta & Carmelo Sbezzi Killed by a drunk driver on October 28, 2016
Erica Linn, Daughter Henrietta & Carmelo Sbezzi Killed by a drunk driver on October 28, 2016 Cecilia Williams, Mother & Grandmother Lacey Newton, Cordell Shawn Michael Williams
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Mobilizing Communities
Your financial support enables us to reinforce progress already underway and to significantly expand our reach and impact. The most effective measures that MADD and our advocacy network push for in states include: All-offender interlock legislation or improvement to existing interlock legislation, would require all drunk driving offenders to install the small, handheld breathalyzer device onto their car ignition which would prevent their vehicle from starting if it detects the consumption of alcohol. Over the last 16 years, the use of these devices has stopped 4.5 million attempts to drive drunk with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or greater. 9 .05 BAC legislation calls for legislators to lower the legal blood alcohol concentration from .08 to .05 to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads. A 2022 study by NHTSA found that traffic deaths in Utah decreased , and more drivers said they arranged for sober rides home when the State lowered its impaired driving legal limit to .05%. 10 High-visibility enforcement of impaired driving laws and equitable traffic safety enforcement: Prioritize funding and resource allocation aimed at equitable enforcement of hazardous driving behavior (e.g., impaired driving and speeding). Encourage states to use Federal Section 1906 Racial Profiling Prohibition Grants to develop and implement programs, public outreach and training to reduce the disparate impact of traffic stops. Drug-impaired driving prevention: Ensure cannabis legalization efforts include funding for underage prevention, education, high-visibility enforcement and officer training. Justice for victims: Support legislation to ensure victims of impaired driving obtain justice, such as Bentley’s Law and Dram shop laws. MADD continues to work across states to pass drunk driving laws that will create a nation of no more victims. Help us go the last mile.Your financial support will allow us to: Build and engage with the MADD Advocacy Network across their social platforms – digitally organizing to create a grassroots movement to amplify their voices and reach to change behaviors and effect positive social change within their communities.
Engage volunteers in their state advocacy issues – encourage participation in lobby days, press conferences, and meetings with legislators and disseminate upcoming legislation within the community. Implement a marketing and communication strategy to share information on MADD’s current priorities at the federal and state level, while giving local MADD offices the opportunity to cultivate volunteers for key advocacy moments.
9. Farmer, C. (2021) Lives saved by in-vehicle alcohol detection systems. Traffic Injury Prevention. 10. 1080-15389588.2020.1836366. 2020/11/12 10. Data collected by MADD from interlock Companies 15
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Underage Substance Use Education + Prevention
Prevent underage drinking, other drug use and impaired driving through targeted education and awareness programs. Objective:
Research shows that teens are over- represented in crashes 12 and that the long-term effects of underage consumption play a part in the propensity of a person to make the choice to get behind the wheel after drinking. 13 It is not just drunk driving, however, with which the communities are concerned. Taking away the keys does not take away the risks when it comes to underage drinking. Underage drinking is also associated with violent crime, property crime, unintentional injury, issues with mental health, risky sexual behavior, and other negative consequences. In addition to these immediate dangers, young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence and are two and a half times more likely to become abusers of alcohol than those who begin drinking at age 21. 14
Young drivers (ages 16-20) are 17 times more likely to die in a crash where alcohol is involved. 11
11. CDC Vital signs: Teen Drinking and Driving - A Dangerous Mix, October 2012 12. NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts: Young Drivers 2012 Data, April 2014 13. Hingson, Ralph, etal. “Age of Drinking Onset, Driving After Drinking, and Involvement in Alcohol - Related Motor Vehicle Crashes. ” DOT HS 809 188. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, January 2001 14. Grant, B.F., & Dawson, D. A. (1997). Age at onset of alcohol use and its association with DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence: Results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. JOURNAL of Substance Abuse 9: 103-110 16
Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
Underage Substance Use Education + Prevention
In 2021, almost 2 in 10 middle school students has tried alcohol in the past year. 15 Teens who start drinking underage are 7 times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash. 16 Adolescent drinkers perform worse in school, are more likely to fall behind and have an increased risk of social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, and violence. 17 1 in 3 youth who drink alcohol have also combined it with marijuana. We know that the dangers become even greater when cannabis is combined with alcohol. 18 It’s illegal to drink under the age of 21, and depending on where you live, cannabis might be legal for adults recreationally, but it’s never legal for those under 21. No matter what, it is illegal and dangerous for anyone to drive impaired. The CDC reports that 85 percent of teens who drink and drive also binge drink. This indicates a risk to mental health; over 37 percent of those who abuse alcohol also suffer from a mental health disorder. 19
17. American Medical Association (AMA) (2002). Fact Sheet from an AMA Report on Alcohol’s Adverse Effects on the Brains of Children, Adolescents and College Students 18. MADD’s Power of You(th) Power To Take A Stand Handbook 19. CDC Vital Signs: Teen Drinking and Driving - A Dangerous Mix, October 2012
15. Johnston, L. D., Miech, R. A., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., Schulenberg, J. E., & Patrick, M. E. (2022). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use 1975 - 2021: Overview, key findings on adolescent drug use. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan 16. Hingson, Ralph, etal. “Age of Drinking Onset, Driving After Drinking, and Involvement in Alcohol - Related Motor Vehicle Crashes.” DOT HS 809 188. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, January 2001
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MADD’s Programs
In 2022, a parent or teen was educated by MADD on underage drinking every 5 minutes with a total combined program outreach of 101,915 through the Power of You(th) and Power of Parents programs. Power of Me!: MADD’s Elementary classroom-or auditorium-based program focused on alcohol use prevention and vehicle safety for elementary school students in grades 4-5 (ages 8-11). The presentation aims to prevent underage drinking and reduce alcohol- related injuries and death among children and youth due to underage alcohol use and riding in vehicles with impaired drivers. Power of Community: MADD’s community engagement and grassroots mobilization program focuses on reshaping community attitudes and the environment where underage drinking takes place by eliminating youth access to alcohol and reinforcing the 21 minimum drinking age law in all 50 states.
Ending impaired driving starts with preventing underage drinking and other drug use. At MADD, we know that our hopes for a safer future are riding on tomorrow’s drivers. MADD’s Underage Substance Use prevention programs were developed using evidence- and research-based prevention strategies. Power of Parents: Parents are the leading influence on teens’ decisions about drinking. MADD began Power of Parents, in partnership with Dr. Robert Turrisi from Pennsylvania State University. The goals of MADD’s parent program focus on empowering parents and caring adults to have ongoing, intentional conversations with their kids about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking and other drug use. Power of You(th): MADD’s middle and high school program focused on providing youth with the tools to resist peer pressure, manage stress and empower them to take a stand against underage drinking and other drug use, and to never ride with someone who is impaired.
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MADD’s Programs
You can play a vital role in MADD’s prevention programming efforts to keep our communities safe by preventing underage drinking and other drug use before it starts, reducing the number of underage impaired drivers on the road and empowering the generation that will eliminate substance impaired driving for good. Your support will allow us to:
Conduct research to learn what is top of mind for students in relation to the issue of substance use and impaired driving Ignite bold discussions about root causes of underage substance use like mental health - often leading to high-risk behaviors like binge drinking, impaired driving or riding with someone who is impaired Utilize diverse and engaging technology and production mediums to optimize our underage substance use prevention portfolio of programs and activities and engage with youth at age- appropriate levels. Cultivate groups of youth and young adults to serve as the voice and viewpoint for underage substance use prevention in their local area and inspire them to take an active role in shaping our world through civic engagement activities.
Chris Mason Killed by an impaired driving friend on May 6, 2005
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Equity in Traffic Safety Enforcement
Objective:
Promoting fair and equitable traffic safety enforcement of hazardous driving behaviors to reduce fatalities and build trust among communities of color. With U.S. alcohol-related traffic deaths at a 17-year high, Mothers Against Drunk Driving recognizes the need to use limited traffic safety resources in even more efficient and effective ways. Solid data suggests that more equitable traffic safety enforcement could help prevent deaths and injuries, leading MADD to engage with our law enforcement partners and other stakeholders to act on the evidence in ways that advance our mission to save lives. Traffic stops are the most frequent engagement between law enforcement and the public, with more than 20 million people stopped for traffic violations each year. Research shows communities
of color are disproportionally subject to traffic stops and searches. A study of nearly 100 million traffic stops over a decade across all 50 states found that Black drivers were stopped more frequently than White drivers. 20 Over the past three years, the U.S. has seen an increase in impaired driving, especially during the pandemic. Overall, drunk driving deaths have increased by 33% since 2019, rising to more than 13,000 in 2021 and 2022. 21 In addition to communities of color being disproportionately subject to stops and searches, there is also a disproportionate impact on the number of fatalities. Prior to the pandemic, American Indian or Alaska Native (ALAN), Black or African American, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) had higher traffic fatality rates per 100,000 population than White people. 22 One analysis of 20 million stops in North Carolina over a 14-year period found that Black people were 63% more likely than White people to be stopped while driving, despite being 16% less likely to drive. 23 Multiple studies, including eight conducted in Connecticut, identified statistically significant disparities in stops and searches of Black drivers. Black drivers were 1.5 times more likely to be stopped and almost three times more likely to be searched than White drivers. The studies concluded that these disparities are driven by traffic stops for administrative and equipment violations not shown to effectively prevent hazardous driving. 24
20. Emma Pierson et al., “A large-scale analysis of racial disparities in police stops across the United States, “ Nature Human Behavior 4 (2020): 736-745 21. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2021 (April 2023) 22. Testing for Disparities in Traffic Stops: Best Practices from the Connecticut Model (2020) 23. Baumgartner, F. R., EPP, D. A., & Shoub, K. (2018). Suspect citizens: What 20 million traffic stops tell us about policing and race Cambridge University Press, pp. 69-77 24. Testing for Disparities in Traffic Stops: Best Practices from the Connecticut Model (2020) 20
Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
Equity in Traffic Safety Enforcement
“As a Black woman, a Social Worker, and as a mother who has suffered a traumatic loss, I appreciate being heard and look forward to continued collaboration with the Committee and other stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. Fair and just traffic safety enforcement is crucial, and as we will hear from other witnesses today, it is also achievable.”
Michelle Ramsey Hawkins testimony to U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Feb. 24, 2021 Mother of Samuel and Khaiden Killed by a drunk driver on April 10, 2016
Conduct research, collect data, synthesize, and serve as a thought leader on this subject. Convene stakeholders to discuss a systemic and thoughtful approach to real solutions. Host think tanks to pull together a policy agenda to be enacted at the state level and draft turn-key legislation. Your support will allow MADD to:
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Victim/Survivor Pathways
Objective:
Using a trauma-informed approach to serve victims/survivors who in turn become leaders in educating the public and policymakers about the realities of impaired driving and underage drinking. On average, two in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime.
“I share my story through my involvement with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. I hope no other family experiences the devastating loss of a loved one because of another person’s deadly decision to drive drunk. By educating and warning others about the dangers of drunk driving, we can save lives.” Carolyn Tyus, Mother of Renota “Lolly” Tyus killed by a drunk driver on May 16, 2008 with Lesa Romeo, daughter of Avannah Fortenberry killed on November 3, 2007, by a drunk driver in a crash that also killed her best friend of 75 years, Gladys Smith, and severely injured her son, Don Fortenberry At MADD, we believe that the services that we provide to victims can be a key part of the solution. In 2022, MADD provided nearly 120,000 direct services to victims/survivors of substance impaired driving with services including emotional support, criminal justice advocacy, information and referrals, and assistance with Crime Victims’ Compensation provided by our national syndicate of trained victim advocates. Additionally, MADD has a national victim helpline answered by both staff and trained victim services volunteers – which is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without charge, available to anyone impacted by these preventable crimes. In 2022, nearly 4,000 individuals were served on the Helpline through calls, letters, emails, texts, and chats.
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Victim/Survivor Pathways
MADD’s most valuable asset is our people — victims/survivors — their experience, expertise, ingenuity, and unwavering commitment. Together we:
Advocate for safe roads and streets:
Raise awareness:
MADD began with a mother turning her grief into action, using grassroots leadership to create major social change in the attitude and behavior of Americans toward drunk driving. Her dedication grew into a network of victims/survivors who participate in local, state and national advocacy campaigns aimed at passing laws. This nationwide movement of supporters show up every time - putting victim’s stories at the forefront of each piece of legislation - from the 1984 Minimum Drinking Age Law signed by President Reagan, to the 2000 .08 BAC measure signed by President Clinton and to the HALT Act signed as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden. MADD victims/ survivors are on the front lines, changing policy and legislation that continue to make our roads safer for generations to come.
Victims/survivors are leaders in educating the public and policymakers about the realities of impaired driving. They speak out in many ways, including the sharing of their personal stories across their communities. It is through their vulnerability that we are able to change minds and behavior around the decisions that people make. “I was there with him, when we removed the life support, I was there when he took his first breath and I was going to be with him when he took his last. And it’s not anything I wish on anybody else. It’s a memory I wish I didn’t have.” Rich Leotta, Father Noah Leotta, Montgomery County Police Officer, hit and killed by a repeat drunk driver at a sobriety checkpoint on December 10, 2015. Addressing the Maryland General Assembly Session, about a loophole in Noah’s Law
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Victim/Survivor Pathways
The Power of MADD’s Advocacy Network Impaired driving is a growing public health problem that transcends transportation, law enforcement, and clinical care systems. Despite its persistent nature, the problem is not intractable. There are many existing evidence-based and promising strategies to address impaired driving; however, a coordinated, multilevel approach across multiple sectors will be required to accelerate change. The critical need is to revive public and policy-maker attention to resolve impaired driving on America’s roadways. MADD will offer a variety of strategies to turn public concern into decisive action to address this tragic and preventable crime and leverage our Victims/Survivors Network to do so.
With your support, MADD will use our unique position as the leading organization fighting to end impaired driving and the growing crisis on our roadways to launch the MADD Victims/Survivors Network aimed at connecting our programs and bolstering our services offered. This ambitious plan will leverage MADD’s unparalleled reach and build on our strong network of support to expand equitable access for all. It will leverage the critical connections that allow us to provide the strongest local, regional, and national support services to communities everywhere. In turn, leverage our network of victims/survivors to come together, focused on one goal: ending impairment on roads and streets for good.
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
Victim/Survivor Pathways
The MADD Advocacy Network is comprised of the following key pillars to expand upon our current offerings:
Direct Services and Support: MADD shows up with empathy, support, and resources when victims need us most, providing supportive services to a victim every four minutes. Education and Prevention: Turning victims/survivors into advocates and empowering them to tell their stories to educate, prevent and legislate for change. Training and Recruitment: MADD Advocates are required to attend and complete MADD’s VATI (Victim Assistance Training Institute) before certification is received. VATI is the foundation for competent service delivery to those impacted by drunk and drug-impaired driving crashes. The role of Victim Advocates is a very important one in the journey that follows.
With your generosity, the MADD Advocacy Network will become an essential driver for collaboration, innovation, and advocacy across our network. Your support will allow MADD to:
Connect victim services teams, volunteers, and advocates allowing for collaboration. Continue to capture, centralize, and use data to drive our internal structure, policies, programs, and research. Strengthen our capacity, training, and coverage across the country. Bolster our victim services for all with an increased and intentional focus on serving BIPOC communities. Build a unified victim services experience, working locally to make it easier for people to access all that MADD offers.
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
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The Road to No More Victims Starts Here
While we have long invested in making MADD’s achievements well-known, we now must also devote more resources and develop new strategies for combating this preventable crime. As we go this last mile, we will continue to strengthen our learning infrastructure to ensure that information held across the organization is integrated in a timely way to inform decision-making, measure efficacy, evaluate opportunities for improvement, and drive our work forward.
We must forge ahead on reforms, such as our agenda to support locally-led development. We must continue to seek and secure investment in our workforce, in key legislative actions and programming, and for critical operational needs to see our commitments through. Together, we will end impaired driving and achieve our mission. The Road to No More Victims begins with you.
Erin Rollins MADD National Ambassador Survived a head-on collision with a drunk driver in 2014
MADD
For more information, please contact:
info@madd.org 877 • ASK • MADD 877 • 275 • 6233
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
511 E. John Carpenter Freeway Suite 200 Irving, TX 75062
877 • ASK • MADD (877 • 275 • 6233)
madd.org
Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
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