A NEW HOPE
Since MADD’s founding more than 30 years ago, remarkable progress has been made in the fight against drunk driving, reducing drunk driving fatalities by almost half. MADD has also put a human face on this crime. What was once a punch line on late night television is now considered unacceptable, yet it is still tolerated. Despite great progress, drunk driving fatalities have remained relatively stagnant since the mid-nineties, with roughly one out of three highway deaths caused by a drunk driver. In 2006, MADD focused on proven strategies to once again drive the country forward. The re- sult was the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, an initiative launched with the support of then U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, highway safety and law enforcement groups, leaders from the automotive community and members of the alcohol industry. The Campaign has three components: SUPPORT THE HEROES WHO KEEP OUR ROADS SAFE. High-visibility law enforcement catches drunk drivers and discourages others from driving drunk. REQUIRE CONVICTED DRUNK DRIVERS TO BLOW BEFORE THEY GO. Ignition interlock devices, or in-car breathalyzers, require all convicted drunk drivers to prove they are sober before they can start their cars. TURN CARS INTO THE CURE. Tomorrow’s cars will protect each of us, automatically determining whether or not the driver is at or above the illegal limit of .08 blood alcohol content and failing to operate if the driver is impaired. In the last five years, the Campaign has made significant strides, but there is still much work to be done. In order to fully implement the vision of a nation without drunk driving, MADD calls on the country to rededicate itself to these proven DUI countermeasures and eliminate the primary threat to the American family on our roads.
drunk driving fatalities reduced by almost half
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