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.

Why We’re Here: Steven Benvenisti
By MADD | July 1, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , Victim Stories

While on spring break during his senior year of college, Steven Benvenisti was walking with friends one evening when he was struck by a habitual drunk driver driving 50 miles per hour. His legs were crushed upon impact, his head smashed through the windshield of the car that struck him, and his body was thrown 70 feet. 

Steven sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and remained in a coma for 10 days. His parents were called and asked permission for organ donation. Upon awakening from the coma, he did not recognize his parents, could not speak, and had extensive cognitive deficits, including no short term memory, along with severe reading comprehension issues. He spent six months in the hospital, enduring 15 surgeries and intense rehabilitation. 

When Steven learned of his grim prognosis and realized what had been taken away from him because of a drunk driver, he promised that if he had a full recovery, he would spend the rest of his life doing everything he could to end drunk driving. 

After the crash, Steven turned to MADD and found victim advocates in Florida and New Jersey who helped him and his family deal with the challenges from the crash. Amazingly, he fully recovered, went on to law school, and now is a partner at the law firm of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, where he represents victims of drunk driving and their families in lawsuits against the drunk drivers and those who served them. He has served on the New Jersey Advisory Board for MADD for several years and has recently been named as one of the five new members of MADD’s National Board of Directors.

Steven is also an award winning motivational speaker who shares his personal story entitled “Spring Break.” All of Steven’s speaking fees are waived in favor of a donation to MADD.

Meet MADD Tennessee’s Program Specialist, Phaedra Marriott-Olson
By MADD | June 19, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , Underage Drinking , Victim Services

The Knoxville News Sentinel recently featured an article about Phaedra Marriott-Olson, MADD Tennessee Program Specialist and drunk driving crash survivor.

In May of 1996, the car Phaedra was driving was hit head on when a driver with a .08 BAC crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic.  Phaedra spent five and a half weeks on life support after the crash that left her paralyzed.  At the time, the legal limit to drive in Missouri was .10, so the driver was not charged with a DUI.

Phaedra did not waste any time turning her tragedy into a positive message.  Even from her hospital bed she worked to put an end to drunk driving by allowing students to visit her hospital room to see first-hand the effects of drinking and driving.

Today, 21 surgeries later, Phaedra works full time for MADD Tennessee working with youth, giving parents the tools to talk to their teens about the dangers of underage drinking, and teaching death notification to law enforcement officers.

Jan Withers says it best: “Phaedra is an inspiration to me and many others who have been victimized by impaired driving.  She has turned her trauma into reaching out and helping others.”

Read the full article from The Knoxville News Sentinel.

2012 Lifesavers National Conference
By Jan Withers | June 14, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , National President

Earlier today I gave the keynote address at the 30th Anniversary Lifesavers Conference on Highway Safety Priorities in Orlando.  The Lifesavers conference is the largest gathering of highway safety professional in the U.S., so it was a great opportunity to share my story and talk about how we need to renew the focus of proven traffic safety solutions, including MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. 

I also used this opportunity to announce that MADD plans to reach out to many of the traffic safety groups to formulate the traffic safety summit. We’ve seen some states make great progress, but others have been backsliding, so we must take a comprehensive approach and focus on the countermeasures that will help use our safety resources in the most cost-beneficial way.

Read the transcripts of my speech or the press release online now.