Winter 2012 MADDvocate
By
MADD
|
December 17, 2012
|
Filed in:
Drunk Driving
,
General
,
Underage Drinking
,
Victim Services
The Winter issue of MADDvocate is available. Read the latest issue of our online magazine that is helping survivors survive.
Dateline Holiday Episode
By
Jan Withers
|
December 13, 2012
|
Filed in:
Drunk Driving
,
National President
Words to describe the taping experience for the holiday episode of Dateline NBC are as varied as the subjects on the show. Three groups of people took part in three scenarios. They were everyday folks, under the impression that they were there to rate holiday treats, wines and decorations, which they did. Andrea Canning, the NBC correspondent, gave the participants instructions, and then left the room for about 10 minutes, so they could confer privately on their ratings.
 |
| Jan watches the hidden camera footage with Dateline’s correspondent and producer. |
Among the group were two actors, one of whom was charged with guzzling the wine (his bottle really contained grape juice) and acting drunk.
When Andrea rejoined the group, she invited them to return to their chauffeured vehicles and travel on to another venue where they would do some more sampling and rating. Of course, the actor pretending to be impaired announced he would take his own car.
Participants were surrounded by cameras with Andrea in the room, but after she left, they thought they were “alone.” However, cameras were still watching, hidden in the ice bucket, the lamp, the microwave oven, and at various spots in the parking lot. Would these adults stop this person who was obviously impaired from getting behind the wheel?
I observed with fascination in a side room, listening to their concerns and debates. After each scenario was complete, Andrea would ask them why they made the decisions they did. Then I was invited to join them and share with them my observations and some tips for handling this type of situation in the future.
My own reactions from behind the curtain shocked me. At some points, I was fighting tears of discouragement. Soon thereafter, I was again filled with tears, this time of hope and pride – more precisely, pride in my fellow womankind. The evening was a rollercoaster of emotions. The evening was entertaining. The evening was enlightening. The evening was energizing.
I encourage you to tune in and let me know what you think!
Warmly,
Jan
2011 Drunk Driving Fatalities by State
By
MADD
|
December 13, 2012
|
Filed in:
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving deaths dropped 2.5% nationwide last year, but how did your state do?
| State |
2010 Drunk Driving Deaths |
% of Traffic Deaths in 2010 that were Drunk Driving Related |
2011 Drunk Driving Deaths |
% of Traffic Deaths in 2011 that were Drunk Driving Related |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Alabama |
264 |
31% |
259 |
29% |
| Alaska |
16 |
28% |
21 |
28% |
| Arizona |
206 |
27% |
215 |
26% |
| Arkansas |
178 |
31% |
156 |
28% |
| California |
774 |
28% |
774 |
28% |
| Colorado |
120 |
27% |
161 |
36% |
| Connecticut |
119 |
37% |
92 |
42% |
| Delaware |
37 |
37% |
41 |
41% |
| Dist. of Columbia |
7 |
27% |
8 |
30% |
| Florida |
678 |
28% |
716 |
30% |
| Georgia |
299 |
24% |
277 |
23% |
| Hawaii |
43 |
38% |
44 |
44% |
| Idaho |
72 |
34% |
50 |
30% |
| Illinois |
292 |
32% |
278 |
30% |
| Indiana |
194 |
26% |
207 |
28% |
| Iowa |
85 |
22% |
83 |
23% |
| Kansas |
134 |
31% |
108 |
28% |
| Kentucky |
168 |
22% |
171 |
24% |
| Louisiana |
226 |
31% |
226 |
33% |
| Maine |
40 |
25% |
23 |
17% |
| Maryland |
154 |
31% |
162 |
33% |
| Massachusetts |
122 |
35% |
114 |
34% |
| Michigan |
236 |
25% |
255 |
29% |
| Minnesota |
128 |
31% |
109 |
30% |
| Mississippi |
174 |
27% |
149 |
24% |
| Missouri |
257 |
31% |
258 |
33% |
| Montana |
72 |
38% |
81 |
39% |
| Nebraska |
50 |
26% |
45 |
25% |
| Nevada |
69 |
27% |
70 |
28% |
| New Hampshire |
45 |
35% |
27 |
30% |
| New Jersey |
160 |
29% |
193 |
31% |
| New Mexico |
119 |
34% |
105 |
30% |
| New York |
360 |
30% |
315 |
27% |
| North Carolina |
389 |
29% |
365 |
30% |
| North Dakota |
46 |
44% |
64 |
43% |
| Ohio |
335 |
31% |
316 |
31% |
| Oklahoma |
218 |
33% |
220 |
32% |
| Oregon |
70 |
22% |
97 |
29% |
| Pennsylvania |
424 |
32% |
407 |
32% |
| Puerto Rico |
98 |
29% |
101 |
28% |
| Rhode Island |
27 |
40% |
24 |
37% |
| South Carolina |
353 |
44% |
315 |
38% |
| South Dakota |
37 |
27% |
33 |
29% |
| Tennessee |
288 |
28% |
257 |
27% |
| Texas |
1,270 |
42% |
1,213 |
40% |
| Utah |
46 |
18% |
53 |
22% |
| Vermont |
18 |
25% |
18 |
33% |
| Virginia |
207 |
28% |
224 |
29% |
| Washington |
169 |
37% |
156 |
34% |
| West Virginia |
87 |
27% |
90 |
27% |
| Wisconsin |
203 |
36% |
196 |
34% |
| Wyoming |
53 |
34% |
38 |
28% |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| National |
10,136 |
31% |
9,878 |
31% |
#TAXI Urges Everyone to Plan Ahead This Holiday Season and Support MADD
By
Guest Blogger
|
December 12, 2012
|
Filed in:
Drunk Driving
Provided by Michael Sachter, the Vice President of Marketing for CellWand Communications, the creators of #TAXI (PoundTaxi) mobile service that allows callers to get a cab anywhere, anytime across the U.S. #TAXI, a proud MADD sponsor since 2006, is donating $0.50 of every call for taxis in the U.S. this November and December to help MADD in its mission to prevent drunk driving and support victims.
Drunk driving takes the lives of over 10,000 people in the US each year and injures almost 350,000 more. Every single drunk driving crash is entirely preventable – all it takes not to drive drunk is to plan ahead.
I say plan ahead, because once you have started drinking, it’s too late. One of the first things to be impaired by alcohol is judgment. After drinking, people start to rationalize, saying things like “I haven’t had too many” or “I just need to make it home.”
This is especially true around the holiday, as alcohol is frequently a part of holiday celebrations. Some people who don’t typically drink during the rest of the year and therefore are not used to having to find a safe way home, do so during the holidays at parties and family gatherings. That’s why it’s important to remind everyone to plan ahead before your holiday celebration begins.
Here are some common ways to enjoy yourself while you are out and still getting home safely:
- Designate a driver. The key is to designate a driver beforehand – someone who will not be drinking during the night. Some people wait until after and designate the least drunk person to drive, which isn’t safe at all. Being the designated driver can make you the hero of the party – after all, it’s a good friend who makes sure you get home safely.
- Call a cab. A $30 cab ride is far better than the thousands of dollars that a drunk driving conviction can cost (if you are lucky and aren’t involved in a crash). And it has never been easier to get a cab with mobile cab calling services like #TAXI (#8294) on any mobile phone.
- Stay over. If you are at a friend’s house, they may be willing to let you sleep on their couch rather than risk your safety on the roadways. (This is another good reason to plan ahead – it’s more polite to ask ahead of time, rather than to get drunk and try to stay over.)
- In some areas, there is quality public transportation available to get you home safely.
There are plenty of solutions to get you home safely this holiday season, so here’s hoping you have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season.
NTSB Calls for Ignition Interlocks for All Offenders
By
MADD
|
December 11, 2012
|
Filed in:
Drunk Driving
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) approved recommendations calling for all convicted drunk drivers to receive an ignition interlock device on their vehicles, as well as the development of new in-vehicle technologies, which could one day prevent a drunk driver from operating a vehicle. The NTSB's recommendations represent another milestone for MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®.
Currently, 17 states require interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. Ignition interlocks are critical to eliminating drunk driving, as a majority of convicted drunk drivers will continue to drive on a suspended license. States that are enforcing all-offender ignition interlock laws, such as Arizona and Oregon, have cut DUI deaths in half, largely due to comprehensive interlock laws requiring all drunk drivers receive the device.
MADD looks forward to continuing to work with the NTSB to eliminate drunk driving. It is now critical that the remaining 33 states act on this recommendation by enacting and enforcing laws requiring ALL convicted drunk drivers to install an ignition interlock device.
The 17 states that require ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington. If you are a resident of one of the other 33 states, contact your legislators and tell them you support saving lives and eliminating repeat drunk driving offenses by requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted DUI offenders.
