Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers Against Drunk Driving
By MADD | May 8, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

Mother’s Day is a very important holiday at MADD, since we were founded by a mother who lost her daughter to drunk driving.  But at MADD, a Mother can be a father, daughter, brother, uncle, or anyone else who wants to stand against drunk driving.  We like to say, “Some of the best Mothers are fathers.” 

It’s a mothers job to protect us, and that’s exactly what all of you—no matter your gender—are doing, protecting your loved ones from drunk driving and underage drinking.  So this Mother’s Day, send a MADD ecard to all of the Mothers in your life who are taking a stand against drunk driving and underage drinking.

If you are struggling with grief this Mother's Day, please know MADD is here for you. Our 24/7 support line is available at no charge at 877.MADD.HELP (632.3435). You can also read our Holiday Grief Tips to find suggestions for people experiencing bereavement and/or injury for coping during a holiday .

MADD wishes all of our Mothers a very happy Mother’s Day.

Why We're Here: Daniel Riemann
By MADD | May 3, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , Victim Services , Victim Stories

Daniel Riemann was a 25-year-old outgoing, “people-person” with an amazing laugh. Daniel had recently graduated from Kansas University and was just promoted to manager of the retail store where he worked. He had his whole life ahead of him with a very promising future.

After hanging out at a friend’s house after work, Daniel was walking in a crosswalk in the Kansas City town square, when he was struck by a drunk driver. The driver fled the scene, leaving Daniel helpless. Several hours passed before anyone found him or called an ambulance, and when they arrived on the scene Daniel was already dead. This happened early in the morning on Sunday, May, 11, 2008—Mother’s Day.

The Riemanns had an annual Mother’s Day tradition; the family would get together for lunch at Red Lobster. Since Daniel wasn’t sure if he would be able to make the Mother’s Day lunch that year because of work, he gave his grandmother the Mother’s Day card he wrote for his mother to give her at lunch. By the time she opened it, Daniel was gone.

While the Riemanns were at their Mother’s Day lunch, police were still trying to determine Daniel’s identification. He had left his wallet and I.D. in his car. His family thought he was at work, so the fact that he didn’t show up for lunch was not surprising; there was no reason to be alarmed or to start looking for him. They were notified later that afternoon that their beloved son and brother had died after being struck by an underage drunk driver leaving a graduation party.

Daniel was the oldest of four siblings, but was also very close to his extended family. Family and friends were very important to Daniel, and at his memorial services friends from all over the world came to celebrate his life by telling funny stories and memories of their friend.

Now Mother’s Day has a very different meaning for Kelly Riemann, Daniel’s mother. Each year she does something to honor her son, like bracelets or bumper stickers, for everyone who knew and loved Daniel.

This Mother’s Day, we honor Kelly and Daniel Riemann, as well as all others who lost a mother or a child to drunk driving or underage drinking.

Why We're Here: Natalie Evaro
By MADD | April 11, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , Power of Parents , Underage Drinking , Victim Services , Victim Stories

On October 18, 2008, the world got a little dimmer when Natalie Evaro died in a drunk driving crash.  Natalie’s family called her Miss Sunshine, because she was always so bright and cheerful, and lit up the room.  Natalie, an honor student, was preparing to start her sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State University and had dreams of studying abroad. 

Natalie was working at a restaurant and bar with a very “loose” policy on alcohol use.   Despite the fact that Natalie was only 20, her employers saw no issues with allowing Natalie, and the other restaurant staff, to drink alcohol during and after their shifts; they even provided the drinks.  Early in the morning on October 18th, after grabbing a couple of drinks with coworkers after her shift,  Natalie got in her car to drive home to her apartment.  Unfortunately,  she never made it. At 3:30 a.m., only three blocks away from the restaurant, Natalie crashed into a metal utility pole while exiting the highway and was ejected from her car.  She was taken off life support two days later.

Natalie’s parents, Gene and Melissa, were always very open and had many conversations with Natalie and her siblings about the dangers of drugs and alcohol; they never suspected that she had started drinking.  It wasn’t until after the crash that they found out that she had frequently been drinking at work, and then driving home.  It was a shocking realization to her parent because she was a smart girl who knew better than to drink and drive. But they also know that young people are easily influenced by their peers, and that alcohol causes loss of judgment.

The night of Natalie’s crash, she was the only person to drive herself home from the restaurant; all the other employees took cabs, leaving Natalie’s parents to ask, “Why did no one try to stop her?”

There are a lot of factors that contributed to Natalie’s death, including the restaurant that served a minor, her coworkers, manager and owners that did not stop her from driving, and of course, the fatal decision made by Natalie to drink underage and then attempt to drive.

Natalie’s parents now know that just because your child has left the nest, doesn’t mean your job is done, and they want to share Natalie’s story in hopes of making a difference— in hopes of saving even one life. 

When asked what advice they have for other parents, they said, “Communication.  Don’t think for a moment that when the kids go off to college that our jobs as parents are any less important or hands on.  If anything, this is when you have to really watch what they are doing.  The main thing is to always talk to them. Check out where they are working, who they are involved with and see for yourself that is a good, safe environment for them to be in.  Believe me, it’s worth it.”

It’s because of families like the Evaro’s that MADD created the Power of Parent™ program, to give parents the tools they need to have these lifesaving conversations with their kids.  Even if your kid is a “good kid,” or a “smart kid,” they can still make bad decisions.  Bad decisions like drinking underage, riding in a car with someone who has been drinking, or drinking and driving, that could threaten their lives.

Parents have the power to help kids make healthy decisions that can keep them safe. In fact, research shows that parents are the primary influence on their kids’ decisions about whether or not to drink alcohol.  That’s why MADD created Powertalk21®, the national day, on April 21st, to start talking about teens and alcohol.  Each year, we focus on reaching as many parents as possible, with the vision that April 21st will become widely known as the day to talk about kids and alcohol.  In preparation for PowerTalk21, parents can get tips and conversation starters, download the parent handbook and find a free 30-minute parent workshop at www.madd.org/powertalk21.

The Impact of a Victim Impact Panel
By MADD | April 5, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

We recently received a letter from someone who attended of one of our Victim Impact Panels that confirms the work that we—and our wonderful team of volunteers—do, really can make an impact. It read:

“I would like to express my deepest and sincerest thanks to the speakers from the MADD VIP that I attended. I am embarrassed to say I was attending the class do to a DUI arrest on 12/15/11 and although this was my first time being arrested, sadly it wasn't my first time driving intoxicated. After my arrest I have felt many emotions but never anger. As I sat in that room and listened to everyone’s story, it became much more than just hearing them, I began to feel them. I became very heavy hearted and that's when I felt ANGER for the first time. Anger not for having to be there, or for all of the money I am paying, and not anger towards my privileges being taken away, but ANGER at myself. All I could do all night was think about how disappointed in myself I was. What if I had been the one to take a life. You see, I felt like they were talking straight to me, as I said before this was not my first time behind the wheel driving drunk.

In 2007, I left a bar after spending $700 on a bar tab and got in my Jeep at 3 a.m. and started home. Fifteen minutes later I hit a concrete light pole snapping it in three places and splitting my jeep in half.  After spending 7 days in the hospital I was released, and even with news coverage and the suspicion of it being alcohol-related nothing ever happened, not even a ticket. I spent the next few weeks recovering at home thinking how lucky I was to be alive and that I didn't kill anyone, I said, ‘I will never do that again.’ Eight weeks after my accident I got a new car.  Two weeks later I put my car in a culvert leaving the same bar.  This time, I was cited for careless driving but no further action. I guess I felt, ‘wow, I'm a lucky girl to have beat the system twice’ and really didn't learn from my experience.

The night of my arrest I was leaving a Christmas party and didn't even think I was impaired, I blew a .19. Ever since that December day I have been an advocate to my friends about drinking and driving because I was concerned about all of the hoops you have to jump through and didn't want them to go through the same, but I was missing a bigger point. Although, from day one I knew and accepted anything that was going to happen to me because I knew I needed to be punished for what I had done, I didn't think about the other side of DUI. After last night they kept talking about just wanting to reach out and save one person. Well I think it was me. I am deeply affected by my experience and it has changed my life.  I want to thank the speakers from the bottom of my heart; I will remember their stories forever. Thank you again for doing what you do—you do make a difference!”

Thank you to all of our VIP speakers, and everyone sharing your stories of loss and struggles.  As you can see, sharing your story really can make a difference.

If you are interested in becoming a VIP speaker, please find your local office on our website and click the link to volunteer.

The Ultimate Crash Avoidance System
By Jan Withers | March 29, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

Today, Jan Withers wrote a blog for The Hill's Congress blog about the DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety) program, titled: The Ultimate Crash Avoidance System.  In the blog, Jan explains the DADSS program, how the technology works and why it is needed.

“Ignition interlocks now, supplemented by DADSS in the future, can take drunk driving from the front pages to the history books. While Congress disagrees on much, everyone can agree that eliminating drunk driving is a worthy goal, both in terms of human lives and cost savings. The potential return on investing $12 million per year to solve a $132 billion per year problem is a no brainer. MAP-21 sets the stage for the elimination of drunk driving. My goal—both personally and as MADD’s National President –is for there to be a day when there are no more victims of drunk driving.”

Read the full blog post here on thehill.com or read more about Jan Wither’s experience with DADSS from a blog about her trip to the DADSS laboratory.  You can also learn more about the progress DADSS has made.

DADSS was also recently featured in the article, After the Party, a Car That Takes Away Your Keys, on the Wall Street Journal Online.  The first line of the article says, "Friends don't let friends drive drunk. In the future, your car could be that friend."  Read more of this article from the Wall Street Journal.