New Year
By | 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

Reflecting on 2011
By | December 27, 2011 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

As the year comes to a close, I reflect on all of our 2011 achievements.  With your help, this year we:

• served more than 60,000 victims, survivors and others impacted by drunk and drugged driving
• extended all offender ignition interlock laws to 15 states
• held our first annual PowerTalk21 Day®
• celebrated our fifth anniversary of the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® by releasing a Report to the Nation
• reached the milestone of cutting drunk driving by more than half since MADD was founded
• held 51 Walk Like MADD events across the country

But our fight is far from over.  Each year, more than 10,000 people are killed by drunk driving, and hundreds of thousands more are injured. 

In 2012, with your support, we will continue to advocate for technology that can turn cars into the cure for drunk driving, help parents start an ongoing dialogue with their children about the dangers of underage drinking, increase sobriety checkpoints, push for designated drivers, and help more than 60,000 victims, friends, family members and loved ones dealing with this horrific crime.

But we can’t do it alone.  Please consider making a donation to MADD before midnight, December 31st so we can get a great start for 2012 in the fight against drunk driving (and you can receive a 2011 tax deduction*).

Thank you, and have a safe and happy holiday season,

Jan Withers
MADD National President

*Donations are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law.

The Magic of MADD
By | December 19, 2011 | Filed in: General

I often tell folks that when I reached out to MADD I didn’t just receive help, I received hope.  That hope rests in the beauty of the many people in MADD, people who believe and never give up in moving toward a nation with no more drunk driving, people who passionately go the extra mile, and people who care – who are dedicated to saving lives and are devoted to supporting those who have been victimized.   Many are courageous individuals who have been victimized by drunk driving and want no one else to suffer what they have and others have never been victimized, devoting themselves to making this world better.  I am so moved by everyone in our MADD family wherever I travel.  Each individual is an inspiration and I am uplifted in their gifts.

Here are a few of our wonderful MADD family in Orlando, Florida, who gathered for two days to do some strategic planning, culminating with a lovely Candlelight Vigil.

Sally, Helen, Victoria, Roberto, Carol, Jan	Dave Pinsker & Jan
Jan with Mike Cage	Glynn Birch, Yolanda and Lennie Larson

     Then our MADD New Jersey family gathered to do their own strategic planning.

Fran and Maria	George	Steve
New Jersey volunteers with Vicki Knox and James Bryant

Below are individuals who attended the National Tribal Transportation Conference who are focused on protecting citizens in tribal nations from impaired driving and underage drinking.

The Anniversary of our Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving celebrated the hard work of everyone dedicated to ending this crime at the National Press Club.  Illinois Senate President John Cullerton received an award and Qinetiq Bud Zaouk explained the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety.

Our friends in Law Enforcement are forever our heroes for the sacrifices they make to protect us.  Below are the officers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore who received recognition for their efforts.

The culmination of a year’s work came with an invitation from the Secretary of Transportation for a delightful White House Holiday Tour for our fantastic tireless public policy team, Frank Harris, Stephanie Manning, and JT Griffin.

MADD Magic fuels my spirit.   Everyone in our MADD family is an inspiration, a reason to keep on keeping on and a reason to know we will eliminate this violent crime.   You each offer friendship, determination, empathy, passion, kindness, bravery and vision.  I wish you a holiday full of Hope. 

Answering Our Critics
By | November 29, 2011 | Filed in: Drunk Driving

Last week I was interviewed on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal and there were many callers – many of whom were critical of my work through MADD.  One guy said he hoped I slept at night and another said George Washington would be disgusted as I was ruining people’s lives who were convicted of driving drunk.  The accusations were extreme – the convicted people lives were ruined because their arrests cost them so much financially and then they could never get jobs again, just for having a couple of drinks, having a little fun and making an innocent mistake.  Never mind that drinking to a .08 BAC level is not just a couple of drinks.  Never mind that Americans are very aware of the destruction drunk driving can cause.  Never mind that they are breaking the law by driving after drinking excessively.  Never mind that it isn’t innocent and it's not a mistake – it is a criminal act.  Never mind that they are responsible for their own consequences by committing this crime.  And, never mind that more often it devastates the lives of people they victimize.  That is why it is illegal.  That is why it is not just a mistake.

But you know, I believe George Washington would be proud of us at MADD.  He was all about the protection of our rights as citizens.  I believe we have the right to be safe from threat of violent outcomes that impaired driving causes.  I do sleep at night because of our hard work to save lives.  I will continue to be vocal, I will continue to lobby for effective countermeasures against drunk driving, and I will forever work to save lives and prevent injuries caused by impaired driving. 

Jan Withers, MADD National President

A Moment to Reflect on Thankfulness
By | 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.