My Experience at the NTSB Forum
By Jan Withers | May 17, 2012 | Filed in: Drugged Driving , Drunk Driving , National President

I thank the National Transportation Safety Board for holding their important forum, “Reaching Zero: Actions to Eliminate Substance-Impaired Driving.”  This highly regarded board realizes their “Most Wanted List” is outdated.   They intend to take the information presented in the forum, study the research, and then update their recommendations.   JT Griffin, MADD VP of Public Policy, presented powerful testimony on research that is the foundation for our Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.  I was honored to represent the thousands of individuals victimized by impaired driving. 

It was reaffirming to hear esteemed researchers as well as representatives from organizations such as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Governors Highway Safety Administration, and AAA, echo MADD’s recommendations.  Specialists from around the world substantiated our course of action to eliminate drunk driving.

I drove home heartened by the comments and questions of Board members.  They are dedicated to becoming an effective part of the solution so America can reach that beautiful zero number…or….eliminate impaired driving.  Member Sumwalt summarized that “there really are a lot of dedicated people working on this and there is no one magic bullet.  Impaired driving is a crime.  We need to focus on all impaired driving, not just hard core drunk drivers.   We need a combination of our laws being certain, swift and severe, along with education, visible enforcemMy ent, and prevalent use of current technology and advanced technology that will be available down the road.  DUI checkpoints are effective and we would like to see them implemented much more.” 

Chairman Hersman asked the one question that deeply touched my heart.  “Why are deaths by impaired driving not treated the same as death by other crimes?”  Thank you, Chairman.   The fact that we hear the impaired driver didn’t “intend” to kill someone is no longer reasonable.   Drinking and then driving is still accepted as part of our society instead of being treated as the violent crime it is.  It is an intentional choice for a person to drive after they have been drinking. Part of the definition of second degree murder is that the offender knew their intended action could result in a death, even if they did not pre-plan to kill anyone.    

Today in Maryland, a common sentence for vehicular manslaughter is 18 months.  I carried intense anger toward society’s attitude because of this very issue.  The person who killed my daughter received a sentence of 28 days work-release, plus community service as part of his probation.  I eventually realized I needed to release that anger and use it to focus on making positive change.  

Member Sumwalt was inspired to conclude with: “I want this to be a springboard for the problem.  I want to really charge out of here and work together to solve this problem.”   My reply:  “Fantastic!  Welcome aboard! We have been doing it since we began our Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® 6 years ago.  We are so glad you are joining us!”  Thank you Chairman Hersman and Member Rosekind for leading the charge in NTSB.  

Looking forward to a future with no more impaired driving,  
                                                                        
Jan Withers
MADD National President    

National Governors’ Spouses Association Winter Meeting
By Jan Withers | February 28, 2012 | Filed in: National President , Power of Parents

Three out of four teens say that their parents are the number one influence on their decisions about alcohol. One in five teens admits to binge drinking, while only one in 100 parents believes their child binge drinks. These are astounding and revealing figures. They show that parents not only have the responsibility to talk with their children about the dangers of alcohol before age 21, they also have to power to influence their children’s decisions. How many times do parents say that their children’s peers have more influence on the teens’ behavior than they do? The research says otherwise!

Dr. Ralph Hingson, Starrla Penick, Jan Withers, Sally Ganem

Yesterday Dr. Ralph Hingson, Director of NIAAA, Starrla Penick, MADD National Program Director and I had the privilege to speak at the National Governors’ Spouses breakfast in Washington, DC. Sally Ganem, First Lady of Nebraska and MADD National Board Member, invited us to speak about underage drinking and MADD’s Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence program. We felt privileged to share a couple of hours with them on this important topic.

Dr. Ralph Hingson, Starrla Penick, Jan Withers, Sally Nebraska First Lady Sally Ganem & Dr. Ralph Hingson	Starrla Penick & Jan Withers

The Governors’ Spouses Association uses its unique positions of influence to work on life-changing issues. Their Leadership To Keep Children Alcohol Free Foundation, a unique coalition of current and former Governors' spouses, Federal agencies and public and private organizations, is an initiative to prevent the use of alcohol by children ages 9 to 15. I am excited about working together in connecting with parents around the country to share MADD’s Power of Parents life-saving program. 

Mary Ann Taufa'asau Tulafono,  First Lady of American Samoa, is a strong advocate for underage drinking prevention programs.

Won’t you join us in spreading the message about the dangers of underage drinking, our Power of Parents program, and reach as many families as possible? Just click onto http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/the-power-of-parents/ for more information and to download the simple booklet. Remember, three out of four teens say that their parents are the number one influence on their decisions about alcohol. 

New Year
By Jan Withers | January 12, 2012 | Filed in: National President

As we give and receive Happy New Year salutations this January, and listen to chatter of New Year resolutions, I think back to the few years following my daughter’s death.   “Happy” wasn’t a possibility, nor did I have the energy to resolve to create change in any way.  I was working hard to barely cope.   

Now I can look back and see that even during times of anguish I did have some happiness.  There were always moments that the kindness of others made my spirit smile, moments of gratitude for the wonderful MADD victim advocate who walked beside me, more moments of gratitude because I was surrounded with people I love and who love me, and treasured moments that made me grin through the tears.  So, whatever your circumstances this January, 2012, I wish for you those moments of happiness – moments of contentment and love that circumstances cannot take away.

I do have a New Year resolution: I plan to do the very best I can to continue our work in MADD of saving lives and supporting those who have been victimized by impaired driving.  I invite you to join me on these endeavors.  Together we are a powerful force!  

Warmly, 
Jan Withers

A Moment to Reflect on Thankfulness
By Jan Withers | November 22, 2011 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , National President

The first few years after Alisa was killed I thought I would never feel thanks again.   I was wrong – thankfully.   This past week MADD celebrated the fifth anniversary of our Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.   I remember 5 years ago when it was launched – realizing that by applying research-proven countermeasures against drunk driving we will see the end of it in our lifetimes.   That was exciting.

As we look at our progress this year we have made so much progress.  We began with only one state requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers.  Today we have 16.    Thirty-two states require interlocks for first time offenders and eight for repeat offenders.   Those are just numbers, but those numbers have saved lives of real people.  They may have saved the most important person in your life.  They may have saved your life.  They may have saved someone in our families.   For that I am thankful.   

I am also thankful for the progress on the advanced technology, the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, that will someday soon seamlessly detect whether the person behind the wheel is at or above the illegal limit of .08 BAC and prevent the car from starting.  It will never interfere with the sober driver.   The progress on this research has advanced more quickly than imagined when the project began.  It will be in a test vehicle in a mere two years.   This will make drunk driving a footnote in the history books.  For this I am not only thankful, I am excited. 

In my reflective moments, I am still most thankful for the wonderful support MADD provides for the thousands of individuals just like me who have been injured or had a loved one killed by a drunk driver.  MADD is there for us every step of the way.  For that, I am eternally grateful.

Happy Halloween!
By Jan Withers | October 31, 2011 | Filed in: General , National President

I love Halloween.  In our household, before it was officially late enough to go “trick-or-treating” the antsy energy of my kids was off the charts - getting dressed in costumes, making sure the bags were sturdy enough, Alisa and her sister, Jenni, coaching their little brother on how to say “trick or treat” and when to say “thank you.”   I truly loved watching their glee as they dressed up in their make-believe outfits and prepared to knock on our neighbors’ doors.  It was a magical time.

Of course my job was to insure their safety.  I walked along side of them, and even when they were a little older and they were feeling it was “uncool” for mom to be with them, I still did so.  When we came home I thought I was being a careful parent by sorting through the goodies, making certain they only consumed commercially wrapped sweets, to protect them from anything slipped into their bags with sinister intent.   But I took quiet happiness watching them sort and divide their treats equally between them, with no prompting from me.  I loved how they cared for one another.

To me Halloween is dedicated to celebrating children and their delight in make-believe.  It can also be an evening for other celebrations so I encourage you to take extra care to be safe.  I wish you a safe and magical Halloween.

Warmly, Jan

Alisa and Jenni, Halloween 1980