Creating a Nation of No More Victims As MADD approaches the 40th year of fighting to eliminate drunk driving, there are still over 10,500 deaths every year caused by drunk drivers. MADD is working hard to make a difference and this year we highlight the many success stories that hold the promise of creating a nation where mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers are no longer left to grieve the 100% preventable, senseless crime of drunk driving. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, now in its 13th year, is the blueprint that will achieve this lofty, but reachable goal. Launched at a time when the number of lives lost to drunk driving remained stubbornly at about 13,000 per year, the Campaign propelled its army of volunteers and staff into action through a four-pronged approach: • Support for law enforcement and high-visibility crackdowns • Pass laws requiring ignition interlocks for all drunk driving offenders • Advocate for advanced drunk driving prevention technology • Push everyone to take personal responsibility for always making the right choice to not drink and drive As 2019 comes to a close, drunk driving is still the Number 1 killer on America’s roads. The decline in the number of people killed in the first few years after the Campaign began has once again stagnated at about 10,500 drunk driving deaths per year. While thousands of lives have been saved since 2006, it’s the 120,000 lives lost —and the families left behind — that drive MADD’s work every day. This Report to the Nation is a guide for supporters, state and federal legislators, volunteers, traffic safety partners and all who wish to help MADD reach its ultimate goal — No More Victims. Campaign Highlights 2006-2019 • Passed laws in 34 states and Washington, D.C. that require ignition interlocks as the only option for driving after a drunk driving offense. • Supported law enforcement through increased number of volunteers at sobriety checkpoints and annual recognition of law enforcement officers’ achievements in protecting roads from drunk drivers. • Formed partnerships that increase public support for safe driving alternatives, such as rideshare and designated drivers. • Passed stronger laws to help law enforcement protect and prosecute drunk drivers with child passengers. • Increased penalties in states for refusing an alcohol test after being pulled over by law enforcement. 2019 State Legislative Successes • Passed all-offender ignition interlock laws in Kentucky and New Jersey. • Passed interlock laws in Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas to incentivize first- time offenders to use an ignition interlock and require these devices as part of any plea agreement. • Helped defeat legislation in North Dakota that would have outlawed sobriety checkpoints. • Protected children in New Mexico by endorsing a law creating a separate vehicle traffic law for driving drunk with a child passenger (making it the 48th to enact such a law). • Advocated for victim rights in Wisconsin with a law mandating a minimum five-year sentence in cases of drunk drivers who kill.
3
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator