Although alcohol-related fatalities have declined by more than 40 percent since MADD was founded in 1980, progress has stalled in recent years.  Every year, nearly 14,000 people are killed by drunk drivers with an illegal alcohol level of .08 BAC or above.  This represents more than 1,000 families every month that must live with the tragic consequences of drunk driving.  But it doesn't have to happen.

Now I know the idea of eliminating a primary public health threat that has plagued the United States for a hundred years seems like an audacious idea.  And if you said it was impossible, you would have been right 10 years ago.  But, today, we have at our fingertips the ability to create an antidote.  It's our responsibility to push that process forward.  MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving does just that by focusing on four key elements:

Intensive High-Visibility Law Enforcement:

• The key here is to deter future drunk drivers-to stop them before they decide to get behind the wheel impaired.  We know that when the public sees and hears about enforcement crackdowns, including checkpoints and saturation patrols, they don't drive drunk.  Why?  Quite simply, because they fear getting caught.  Subsequently, MADD supports drunk driving crackdowns at key times such as Labor Day and the holiday season, as well as sustained enforcement efforts throughout the year.

Full Implementation of Current Alcohol Ignition Interlock Technologies for All Convicted Drunk Drivers:

• The main reason people continue to drive drunk today is because they can and because we let them.  Research shows that the overwhelming majority of people arrested for drunk driving have driven drunk nearly 100 times before their first arrest.  MADD believes and 65 percent of Americans agree that first time offenders need and deserve an alcohol ignition interlock.  Although interlocks are proven to be up to 90 percent effective while on the vehicle, it is estimated that only one out of eight convicted drunk drivers each year currently get the device.  MADD is committed to increasing that number by pushing for a model law that would make ignition interlocks mandatory for all convicted drunk drivers.

Exploration and Development of New Vehicle-Based Technologies:

• The third element of the Campaign is exploration and development of advanced vehicle-based technology to stop drunk driving.  If we can't stop drunks from driving, we'll stop vehicles from letting drunks drive.  That's how we'll ultimately eliminate drunk driving all together.   Through for example, transdermal (i.e.through skin contact), biometric (fingerprint) and optical means, drunk drivers will not be able to operate a vehicle.  And the public is behind us: by a 4 to 1 margin, Americans support advances in smart vehicle technology to prevent drunk driving.

Mobilization of Grassroots Support:

• Finally, we must mobilize the power of grassroots activism.  We plan on maximizing our public support by doing what we do best-making friends.  Throughout the country, MADD is building broad based support in order to push for comprehensive state-level policies that will ensure that drunk driving is finally abolished in this country.  Success will not be possible unless we all join together to push these policies forward.  This means we need to all push for mandatory ignition interlock for convicted drunk drivers and demand high visibility sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols.

Follow this link http://www.madd.org/campaign/ to find more information about the “Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving” and to take “The Pledge” https://secure2.convio.net/madd/site/SPageServer?pagename=wp6_pledge.  We hope that you will not only sign the pledge and send it back to us, but work with your community and leaders to follow suit.

Too many people continue to die at the hands of drunk drivers on Delaware roadways.  Together, we can work to keep our families safe, both the families that we are born into and the families that we choose.  Please join us. To find out more information  about the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving please call us at 302-853-6233 or toll free at 1-877-630-6233.