Reaching Out to Victims
By MADD | March 4, 2013 | Filed in: Victim Services

Hopefully by now you know that MADD is first and foremost a victim services organization—as we like to say, “We help survivors survive.” We have more than 1,200 trained victim advocates nationwide who can help bereaved families and injured victims/survivors.  What you may not know is how we first connect with the victim/survivors we serve.

Often, a victim/survivor will contact MADD directly through their local MADD office or call MADD’s National Help Line (1-877-623-3435). But many times victim/survivors don’t feel comfortable contacting MADD, or are unaware of what services MADD has to offer crash victim/survivors.  That’s when we reach out.

MADD victim advocates may learn about an alleged impaired driving crash through working relationship with the victim witness coordinators at the District Attorney or Sheriff’s office, or through law enforcement agencies. Other time they hear about them in the news—advocates scan newspapers and news websites regularly for crash information.

After we hear about an alleged impaired driving crash, a “We Care” card is sent to the victims, typically two weeks after the crash occurred.  The cards inform victims of what services MADD can provide.  Then, if we have their phone number, a MADD advocate will place a follow up call after a “We Care” card has been mailed.

We strive to be respectful and considerate of the people we reach out to and serve.  We would never want to be perceived as aggressive or hurtful to a victim/survivor and by doing so cause further harm.  Our job is to support and empower those who have been affected by this violent crime, and sometimes it’s those little details, such as that first contact, that make a big difference.

If you or someone you know is a victim/survivor of an impaired driving crash, MADD is here for you.  Services are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year through our Help Line: 877.MADD.HELP.  If you are interested in becoming a victim advocate, click here to connect with your local office.

Announcing the Power of You(th) Video Contest Winner
By MADD | February 27, 2013 | Filed in: Underage Drinking

Last Fall, we asked teens across the country to participate in the second annual Power of You(th)® video contest to prove that underage drinking is not cool, and we’re excited to share with you the winning video:

Congratulations to 17-year-old Jason Girouard from Brimfield, MA for creating a great video that shows how teens can influence each other to not drink underage.  Jason’s video was selected from numerous entries submitted by teens across the country, based on its creativity, quality and overall underage drinking prevention message.

The video contest is part of MADD’s Power of You(th) program, sponsored by State Farm®, to empower teens to say no to alcohol and never get in a car with someone who’s been drinking.  The program also includes a teen-focused booklet, called The 411 on Teen Drinking, which provides teens with this information and more, empowering them to make good choices and resist alcohol.  Get the teen booklet now.

Senator Frank Lautenberg Announces Retirement
By MADD | February 20, 2013 | Filed in: General

New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, who chairs the Senate Commerce panel in charge of highways, transit, rail and maritime issues, recently announced that he won’t run for re-election in 2014. Senator Lautenberg has been a champion for MADD and our mission to end drunk driving and underage drinking for three decades, and has been instrumental in getting key legislation passed—saving tens of thousands of lives.

Senator Lautenberg was an author and driving force behind both the 21 minimum drinking age law in 1984 and setting the .08 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) standard for the entire country throughout the 90s, eventually getting that standard passed in 2000.  He supported the 2006 STOP Act to help prevent underage drinking, and has continued to support reauthorizing that funding ever since.  Recently, he was a champion for the federal highway bill, MAP-21, and its safety provisions, which include giving incentive grants to states that require interlocks for all offenders, and funding research into DADSS technology.

We are incredibly thankful for his support of MADD’s issues and all of his lifesaving work over the past 30 years. We wish him much happiness in retirement.

Drive Safely After Dark (Guest Blog)
By Guest Blogger | February 15, 2013 | Filed in: General

Provided by Nationwide Insurance® the national presenting sponsor of the Power of Parents® program. Nationwide also offers exclusive discounts to MADD supporters, learn more.

Do you hate driving at night? You’re hardly alone. In fact, 7 out of 10 drivers in the U.S. fear evening driving because of the lack of visibility, according to an industry study. Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed are worried about hitting a person or an animal, and one-quarter are concerned about not seeing road markings.

With this in mind, consider these preventive measures to help you make it safely down the road.

Prep for Success
Before you head out, make sure your visual tools are in order. Adjust all mirrors and check to see if the dimming feature on the rear-view mirror is set, if you have one. “If you’re driving in the country—where there is no ambient light—make sure beforehand that both of your headlights are working and they’re clear of mud, film, ice and snow,” says Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com.

Pay Attention to Your Headlights
Modern vehicles often allow headlights to get adjusted on the fly from the driver’s seat. “You want to make sure they’re set low for city driving and higher for country driving,” Reed says. If an oncoming vehicle’s headlights are too bright, move to a lane that’s not in direct view. If headlights behind you are too bright, find a safe place to pull over to let the car pass, or move to the right-hand lane.

Keep It Clear
After the sun goes down, bad weather can be intimidating. Be sure your wiper blades are in top form and your wiper fluid is topped off. Keep a working ice scraper with you and make sure your windows are clean. “Once you’re in the car, use your defrost/defog feature on cold, damp nights,” says Art Jacobsen, vice president at CarMD. “Make sure the air is drawing from outside and not in ‘re-circulation’ mode, which will take longer to defrost and defog your widows.”

Stay Alert
Avoid mobile device usage and keep your eyes moving. “Look for reflectors, pedestrians, animals’ eyes, debris—especially if it’s windy or stormy—and stalled cars ahead,” Jacobsen says. “Be aware of any cars near you so you can prepare to slow, stop or change lanes as needed.”

Don’t Outdrive Your Headlights
“That means that if you can’t stop within the area that’s illuminated in front of you,” Jacobsen says, “you’re driving too fast.”

MADD Texas lobbies for strong drunk driving legislation
By MADD | February 12, 2013 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

Today, MADD Texas is having our lobby day at the state capital.  Texas is particularly important because it has more drunk driving deaths than any other state in the country (with 1,213 people killed in 2011).  That’s not just because it’s the second largest state – 40% of Texas’s traffic fatalities come from drunk driving, significantly more than the national average of 31%.

In short, Texas has one of the worst drunk driving problems in the country.  This is in part because it lacks two very important laws:

• Ignition interlocks for all drunk driving offenders.  Right now, Texas only requires interlocks for repeat offenders or offenders who were nearly twice the legal limit or more.  Studies show these devices can reduce repeat offenses by two-thirds.  Seventeen other states now require them and Texas should too.
• Sobriety checkpoints.  Thirty-eight states allow law enforcement to do sobriety checkpoints, where they check vehicles in an orderly and methodical fashion to make sure people are not driving drunk.  This lets potential offenders know that they will be caught if they try to drive drunk.  As you might guess, this deters people from committing the crime – sobriety checkpoints have been shown to lower drunk driving deaths by 20 percent.  That would be 262 lives saved each year in Texas.

So, today, we are talking to legislators about these bills and, if you are a Texan, we’d like you to as well.  You can email your legislators about the ignition interlock bill here and the sobriety checkpoint bill here.