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.

Why We’re Here: Luke Maue
By MADD | February 4, 2013 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , Victim Services , Victim Stories

Luke at the zoo

Luke Maue was a loving and caring boy with a sweet smile.  He loved basketball, the Power Rangers and Blues Brothers 2000.

On May 18, 2001, seven-year-old Luke visited the St. Louis Zoo on a field trip with his first-grade class.   Luke was excited about the trip and was happy to have his mother, Angie, attend with him. 

As they were leaving the zoo after a fun-filled day, a 20-year-old drunk driver, with a BAC of .22, was driving 64 mph in a 25 mph zone and lost control of his car. His car jumped the curb and struck and killed Luke on the sidewalk as his mother and classmates  watched in horror.

After Luke was killed, Angie called MADD’s Help Line looking for support.  She was introduced to a victim advocate, Angela Leong, who met the family at the funeral home for the visitation and continued to support the family.  “She was there for us whenever we needed her,” says Angie Maue, Luke’s mother.  

Angie also attended support group meetings and other MADD events. Through MADD, the Maue family found a community that helped them through the healing process, and now considers them family.

Angie now spends her time speaking at area high schools, colleges and MADD Victim Impact Panels.  She hopes that sharing Luke’s story might prevent someone else from a senseless tragedy like this.

“I feel that is my gift and what I am supposed to do,” Angie says.  “I witnessed my son's death and now I need to be his voice.  We want to give back to MADD, the organization that is making an effort to do the same.”

The Maues created Luke’s Legacy and host a fundraising event for MADD called “Hope 4 Tomorrow,” a 5K run and 1 mile MADD Dash that is held around Luke’s birthday each year.  This event raises several thousand dollars each year for the MADD Gateway affiliate.

Impact: After the Crash Documentary Film
By MADD | February 1, 2013 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

May 14^th will mark the 25^th anniversary of the deadliest drunk driving crash in US history. A bus carrying a church group in Carrollton, KY was hit by a drunk driver, killing 27 passengers—24 youth and 3 adults—and injured 30 more. Former MADD National President Karolyn Nunnallee's daughter Patty was killed in the crash.

You can read more about how the Kentucky Bus Crash inspired the creation of a large-scale crisis response system in our Winter MADDvisor.

Super Bowl XLVII
By MADD | January 30, 2013 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

The Super Bowl is one of America’s most anticipated and celebrated sporting events and brings together families, friends and fans each year to enjoy the excitement of the big game. Fans often gather to watch the game at sports bars, restaurants or Super Bowl parties; but too many times these fans have one too many during the big game and then drive.  In fact, on Super Bowl Sunday in 2011, 43 percent of all traffic fatalities involved a drunk driver compared to 31 percent of total traffic fatalities for the year.

MADD wants everyone to enjoy the game this year, but more importantly, we want everyone to get home from the celebration safely.

If you’re attending a Super Bowl party or watching the game at a sports bar or restaurant:

• Designate a sober driver before the party begins or save the number of a local cab service in your phone prior to heading out.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home, or call a cab, friend, or family member to come and get you.
• Always buckle up. It’s your best defense against other drunk drivers.

If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party:

• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.
• Never serve alcohol to someone under the 21 and never ask children to serve alcohol at parties.
• Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party, but avoid too many salty snacks as they tend to make people thirsty and drink more.
• Host your party just like they do at the stadium. Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game. The fourth quarter is perfect for serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the phone numbers of local cab companies on hand and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving drunk.
• Review our Safe Party Guide for more tips to help you be a champion host this Super Bowl Sunday.

No matter how you celebrate or who you cheer for this Super Bowl Sunday, don’t ruin the day by getting a DUI, or much worse. If you're going to drink alcohol, remember to plan ahead and designate a sober driver to help get everyone home safe after the game.

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Missouri v McNeely
By MADD | January 14, 2013 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard the case of Missouri v. McNeely, which involves a law enforcement officer ordering a blood draw on a suspected drunk driver without a search warrant.

Law enforcement is key to drunk driving prevention, and we need to ensure officers have the tools they need to enforce drunk driving laws — ultimately, making our roads safer.  That is why MADD supports testing the BAC for of any drunk driver where there is probable cause and submitted an amicus brief in support of the blood draw, saying that the state has a compelling state interest to prevent drunk driving.

After law enforcement has arrested a driver based on their performance during a standard field sobriety test, they have probable cause to obtain BAC evidence in as timely a manner as possible.  Because the body breaks down alcohol over time, it is imperative that this evidence is obtained as close to the arrest as possible to ensure the result is the most accurate depiction of the suspect’s BAC at the time of the alleged drunk driving offense.   Failure to obtain timely BAC evidence often results in a lack of conviction. 

Forcing officers to obtain a search warrant after probable cause has already been established gives drunk drivers continued motivation to refuse to submit these tests in the hope that the delay will give their body just enough time to process the alcohol and their lawyer just enough leverage to obtain an acquittal.  It is our hope that the Supreme Court will reinforce the importance of drunk driving as a compelling state interest and allow law enforcement to enforce our drunk driving laws by obtaining the best evidence available at the time of arrest—an accurate BAC.