MADD on The View
By MADD | July 3, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , Underage Drinking

This Thursday, MADD speakers Kathy Hernandez and Dani Simien will be featured on a segment of The View about underage drinking prevention.

Kathy and Dani have a unique relationship and a very impactful story to share. Kathy’s 19-year-old daughter, Casey, was an underage drunk driver who crashed into Dani on his way home from prom. Casey died and Dani is in a wheelchair as a result of the crash. Kathy and Dani now speak at schools and Victim Impact Panels together to share their story and encourage teens to not drink under the age of 21, and to never drink and drive.

Find out more about the show at theview.tv.

Plan Ahead this 4th of July Holiday
By MADD | July 2, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

Celebrating our nation’s birthday should be a fun and festive event that brings together friends and family to enjoy cookouts, fireworks and time by the pool… but all too often it turns tragic. The Fourth of July holiday is one of the deadliest holidays of the year because of drunk driving crashes.

In 2010, 392 people were killed on our nation’s roadways during the Fourth of July holiday, 39 percent of which involved at least one driver with a BAC of .08 or higher. There is an even higher number of fatalities among young drivers—during the 2010 Fourth of July holiday period, 50 percent of young drivers (18 to 34 years old) killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes had a BAC of .08 or higher.

While these fatalities are devastating, they are 100% preventable. Planning ahead does not mean you can’t still have fun, it means taking responsibility and making a decision to keep you, your loved ones and everyone else on the road safe. Decide how you will get home BEFORE drinking alcohol this Fourth of July, and encourage everyone around you to do the same. And remember, even if you make the choice to drive safe and sober, others may not. So drive with caution and always wear your seatbelt.

What are your plans to get home safely this Fourth of July holiday?

Congress Approves Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act
By MADD | July 2, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

We are excited to announce that Congress has approved the federal transportation legislation called Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21. This legislation sets in motion a federal safety policy that could lead to the elimination of drunk driving as the leading cause of highway fatalities. 

The legislation includes bold new programs to encourages states to pass all offender ignition interlock laws. The science behind these laws has been clear for some time, showing that they reduce repeat offenses by two-thirds. Now, states will have a financial incentive, as well as a moral obligation to pass these lifesaving laws. Currently, 16 states have ignition interlock laws aimed at all convicted drunk drivers. 

In addition to ignition interlocks, the legislation authorizes the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, or DADSS. Not only does it guarantee the research for this project will continue to take place, it also has the potential to greatly accelerate lifesaving technology from the lab to the showroom where it can protect our families. Learn more about DADSS.

Also in line with MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, the legislation continues funding for NHTSA's high visibility traffic safety law enforcement campaigns, which have proved to be successful. This is especially important over holiday weekends like the Fourth of July when drunk driving rates are higher. 

MAP-21 is a historic opportunity to advance highway safety because we now have congressional approval on a blueprint for our nation to eliminate drunk driving. MADD thanks Senators Jay Rockefeller, Barbara Boxer, Tom Udall, Frank Lautenberg, and Bob Corker along with Representatives John Mica, Shelley Moore Capito, John Sarbanes, and Heath Shuler for championing this legislation.

*UPDATED 7/6/2012*

At 4:55 EST on July 6, 2012, President Obama will sign the Moving Ahead for the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) at a White House ceremony.

National Teen Influencer Summit
By MADD | July 2, 2012 | Filed in: Underage Drinking

This past weekend, 10 teens from across the country gathered at MADD’s national headquarters in Irving, TX, for the first National Teen Influencer Group Summit.  The teens, ages 13-18, were appointed to the group either by winning the national Power of You(th) video contest held in the spring of 2012, or by nominations from MADD staff and volunteers and partnering organizations.

At the Summit, the Teen Influencers shared their own experiences about the challenges associated with underage drinking as well as their ideas for reaching teens with the life-saving message about the importance of waiting until after 21 to drink and of choosing not to ride in a car with someone who has been drinking.  We talked about MADD’s developing strategy for reaching teens, how we could do better, and what more could be done through the Power of You(th) program.

The Summit was a great opportunity to work together to create a program for youth, by youth.  We look forward to using the knowledge gained during the weekend activities and continuing to work with the teens via conference calls to further develop MADD’s Power of You(th) program to reach teens across the country.
Thank you to the very talented 10 National Teen Influencers for your participation and insight that will ultimately help save countless lives!  You are our future, and it’s for that reason we press on.

Thank you also to State Farm, who is the presenting sponsor of the Power of You(th) program and of the National Teen Influencer Group Summit.

My First Year Observations
By Jan Withers | July 1, 2012 | Filed in: General , National President

What a gift. I am sitting on the plane and can barely refrain from every now-and-then throwing my arms in the air and squealing, "Hooray!" Instead I quietly giggle to myself so my fellow passengers don't think they are trapped on this flight with a crazy lady. MADD’s VP of Public Policy, JT Griffin, just called me to inform me that the federal transportation bill passed with most of our requests included. I am ecstatic because this will help save thousands of lives.

This weekend marks the end of my first year as president. I can't believe it has gone by so fast. I have been asked what I think my greatest accomplishment has been during this time and I had a difficult time with that question...until today. I cannot accurately describe my feelings because I am so elated. Why? Because this bill will literally prevent so many families from suffering the agony of having someone they love killed or injured by a drunk driver. It will help prevent so many individuals from suffering a lifetime of emotional or physical pain as a result of someone's choice to drive after drinking.

MADD puts a face to the numbers. We are blessed to have the most skilled public policy team for which you could ever dream. JT Griffin, Stephanie Manning and Steve O'Toole know exactly which Congress committee members and staff with whom to work...and I mean work. Together, we have persistently worn down the marble floors on Capitol Hill and depleted our cell phone batteries behind the scene in order to get our priorities in the legislation. We also owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to many congressional staff persons who worked tirelessly with us. On the state level, Frank Harris is equally as talented in working with many of you to pass ignition interlock legislation.

My message to each of you in our MADD family is how your stories make a difference. We put a face to the numbers. This year I watched the effect Connie Russell had on the Florida House Judicial Committee as she told them how her only child, Matthew, was killed by a drunk driver. I watched the effect Ron Bersani, Melanie’s grandfather, had on Massachusetts legislature as he shared her story. And I personally experienced how members of Congress and their staff responded to our requests after listening to Alisa's story. I have personally experienced the power of the personal story.

I often wonder what Alisa would be thinking as her story and her pictures are spread around the country. Her closest friend was laughing recently as we discussed just that. She said Alisa would be mortified. I don't doubt that, because she once told me that in ballet class she didn’t like being the dancer that the instructor had everyone observe in order to perform a specific movement correctly. She would say, "I just want to be normal." Of course, that was a teenage girl talking, but she never sought attention. She just liked to dance. However, she cared so deeply about everything living I want to believe she would be okay with it.

My absolute favorite part of this past year has been spending time with our MADD family around the country. I want to shout from the treetops how amazing you all are. Everywhere I go I am inspired and humbled by your dedication to working hard to support our mission. It isn't easy. It takes hard work. Each of you is committed to the challenge. I love you for that. You are all about saving lives and giving the best support possible to people victimized by impaired driving.

We are determined to eliminate this violent crime. That is why we must stay focused on the countermeasures that are most effective in saving the most lives in the shortest time. Wasting time and energy on efforts that feel good but do not accomplish this goal costs lives! I am personally not willing to do that. That is why I am thrilled with the new transportation bill. It will save more lives sooner, so fewer families will have tragic stories to tell. Instead they will have new pictures of memorable events to put in their family albums.

I applaud each of you. It is an honor to walk beside you on our journey. It is a privilege to be part of this wonderful family.