Impact: After the Crash Documentary Film
By
MADD
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February 1, 2013
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Filed in:
Drunk Driving
May 14th will mark the 25th 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.
| Impact: After the Crash Trailer |
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Super Bowl XLVII
By
MADD
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January 30, 2013
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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
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January 14, 2013
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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.
DADSS Featured on CBS
By
MADD
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January 4, 2013
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Filed in:
Drunk Driving
The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) program is a key element of MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® and is the result of a cooperative agreement between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the world’s leading automakers, working through the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety. The project’s goal is to develop an inexpensive, publicly-supported and extremely accurate technology that passively senses if a driver is at or above the illegal limit of .08 BAC. If the driver is drunk, the DADSS technology would prevent the vehicle from starting.
We continue to look forward to the day when there are no more drunk driving deaths or injuries, and DADSS has the potential to eliminate drunk driving once and for all. Please join us in the fight by pledging to support the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving and its three vital components today.
MADD Board Member on NBC Nightly News
By
MADD
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January 3, 2013
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Filed in:
Drunk Driving
MADD Board Member Nina Walker shares the story of her daughter, Ginger, on NBC Nightly News.
Ignition Interlocks are a key component of MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®. 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.
Currently 17 states require interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers – 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.
