MADD’S CAMPAIGN HAS ONCE AGAIN CHANGED THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON DRUNK DRIVING. MADD HAS DEVELOPED A PLAN THAT BRINGS TOGETHER OUR HEROES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, AUTOMAKERS, AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA). ARM IN ARM WITH MADD VICTIMS AND VOLUNTEERS, WE ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER ON PROVEN DRUNK DRIVING COUNTERMEASURES THAT WILL ELIMINATE DRUNK DRIVING IN AMERICA. Sobriety checkpoints are the foundation for eliminating drunk driving, serving to deter would-be drunk drivers and catching those who decide to drive drunk. Proven to reduce drunk driving fatalities by 20 percent, sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols, combined with high-visibility media, such as NHTSA’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, deliver a very direct message: If you choose to drive drunk, you will be held accountable. Today, 38 states and the District of Columbia participate in sobriety checkpoint programs, which are designed to deter drunk drivers and reduce fatal crashes. While sobriety checkpoints are preferred, the other 12 states conduct saturation patrols, which work in a similar way. HIGH-VISIBILITY LAW ENFORCEMENT Alcohol ignition interlock devices are currently the best proven countermeasure available to stop drunk driving. In the past, license suspension was the preferred way to punish drunk drivers. Today, we know that 50 to 75 percent of convicted drunk drivers will continue to drive even on a suspended license. License suspension alone is no longer the most effective DUI deterrent. Interlocks protect the public by requiring the offender to blow into the device before the car will start. If the driver’s BAC is above the interlock’s preset level, the car will not start. Interlocks are equipped with anti- circumvention features, such as requiring hum tones and a camera, making the device difficult to bypass. IGNITION INTERLOCKS FOR ALL CONVICTED DRUNK DRIVERS The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) is the world’s “moonshot” to eliminate drunk driving. DADSS is a public-private agreement working to develop a first-of-its-kind technology that quickly and accurately detects when a driver is intoxicated with a BAC above the legal limit and prevents the car from moving. The technology will be non-invasive and can accurately measure a BAC in a split second. Unlike ignition interlocks, it will be unnoticeable to a sober driver. Ultimately, DADSS will be made available as another safety option in new vehicles. DRIVER ALCOHOL DETECTION SYSTEM FOR SAFETY
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