1980 - Mothers Against Drunk Drivers is established in California. The first two chapters of MADD are created in California and Maryland.

1981 - President Reagan announces a Presidential Task Force on drunk driving and invites MADD to serve on it. MADD grows to 11 chapters by year-end.
 
1982 - First Victim Impact Panel meets in Rutland, Massachusetts. By Fall, 1982 MADD had more than 70 chapters and by year-end had 100 chapters.
 
1983 - MADD's national office moves to Hurst, Texas.

March, 1983 - NBC produces a made-for-television movie about MADD and its founder (The Candy Lightner Story) resulting in the growth of more chapters and significant media attention.

By the end of March, 122 new MADD chapters opened covering 35 states.  A national poll revealed that 84% of the country had heard about MADD.
 
1984 - Federal "21" minimum drinking age bill is enacted.

MADD goes international when Canada becomes the first country outside of the US to charter a MADD affiliate.

The direct mail campaign is started to educate the public and raise funds for MADD's mission.

MADD changes its name to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

MADD grows to more than 350 chapters.
 
1985 - England and New Zealand charter MADD affiliates. 

1986 - MADD establishes Victim Assistance Institutes to train volunteers on how to support victims of drunk driving and how to serve as their advocates in the criminal justice system.

Telemarketing programs spur growth in grassroots support and serve as a major public awareness campaign to educate the general public on drunk driving issues.

Project Red Ribbon is introduced and one million red ribbons are distributed as motorists pledge to drive safe and sober during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Australia charters MADD affiliate.
 
1987 - National 1-800 hotline is created to provide victim support.

MADD submits an amicus brief to the US Supreme Court opposing an effort by several states to rule the federal Age 21 law unconstitutional. The law was successfully upheld. 
 
1988 - Omnibus Anti-Drug Abuse Act is signed. Included in this landmark bill is an amendment extending to all victims of DWI the same compensation rights offered to victims of other crimes.

Another amendment creates the Drunk Driving Prevention Act (Section 410) to increase incentives for key state DWI law enactment. Also adopted was the Alcohol Beverage Labeling Act, requiring warnings on alcohol containers.

Impaired Driving Issues Compendium is created and ten companion workshops scheduled to instruct judges, legislators, law enforcement officials and MADD members on how to amend and implement stronger anti-DWI laws.

All 50 states now had passed Age 21 as the minimum legal drinking age.
 
1989 - First MADD National Youth Conference, co-sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, is held in Washington, D.C.

MADD forms Victim Impact Panels as a national program and publishes a "How To" booklet and video.
 
1990 - MADD files an amicus brief with the US Supreme Court over the constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints. Following a hearing, the court rules in favor of checkpoints. MADD later establishes the week of July 4th as National Sobriety Checkpoint Week.

MADD introduces its 20 X 2000 plan to reduce the proportion of traffic fatalities that are alcohol-related by 20 percent by the year 2000.

MADD had 407 chapters, 53 Community Action Teams (CATs) and 32 state offices with affiliates in Canada, England, New Zealand and Australia. 
 
1991 - Congress passed the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), which included an updated, more accessible Section 410 program to more effectively encourage states to adopt key anti-DUI legislation; MADD had a key role in shaping the program.

The first national Rating the States Survey is released, drawing nationwide attention to the status of state and federal efforts against drunk driving.

MADD sponsored Gallup survey of public attitudes on drunk driving reveals that Americans cite drunk driving as the number one problem on the nation's highways.

The Transportation Employee Testing Safety Act passes, requiring alcohol as well as drug testing of transportation employees in safety-sensitive jobs, including random, pre- employment and post-crash testing. MADD constituents helped turn the tide and secure House action after the Senate had already taken action 11 times.
 
1992 - MADD develops clergy/funeral director seminars to help educate clergy, funeral directors and allied professionals on the special needs of family members following a tragic death.

MADD testifies on Capitol Hill on issues including funding for the Section 410 incentive grant program and on the Sensible Advertising and Family Education (SAFE) Act, to require extending the current health and safety warnings on alcohol beverage containers to all alcohol advertising.
 
1993 - Five states pass laws to lower the legal blood alcohol limit from .10 to .08.

The second national Rating the States Survey is released, highlighting progress and remaining challenges in the fight against impaired driving.  
 
1994 - MADD releases results from second year-long Gallup survey on drunk driving, which shows the public is becoming increasingly less tolerant of drunk drivers and more supportive of stiffer penalties. 

Release of the 1993 Fatal Accident Reporting System statistics reveals that alcohol-related traffic deaths dropped the previous year to a 30-year low; NHTSA credits MADD along with tougher laws.

MADD premieres Hollywood gets MADD with Siskel & Ebert on national television.
 
1995 - MADD participates in the Secretary of Transportation's Summit on Highway Safety, announcing a proposed goal of reducing alcohol-related traffic fatalities to 11,000 or fewer by the year 2005.

MADD begins holding public policy institutes to train state public policy liaisons in DUI issues and legislative how-to techniques. 

MADD announces national drunk driving fatalities rise for the first time in a decade.

Federal Zero Tolerance Law was passed by the US Congress tying federal highway funds to the passage of a state-level version of the Zero Tolerance Law.
 
1996 - Third national Rating the States Survey is released announcing drop in nation's grade primarily due to rise in drunk driving fatalities.

MADD announces new focus on underage drinking and impaired driving with youth programs born out of its Commission on Youth report.

MADD pilots first six Youth In Action sites.

MADD National launches an online presence at www.madd.org. 

President Clinton and Senator Dole announce support for crime victims' constitutional amendment
 
1997 - The first MADD National Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking is held. Four-hundred thirty-five teens, representing each US congressional district, attended the historic summit to develop and present their own solutions to America's underage drinking problem.

MADD reached the 20 x 2000 goal three years early when the percentage of alcohol-related traffic crashes fell to below 40 percent. 

DRIVEN Magazine is launched.

MADD hosted the International Candlelight Vigil of Remembrance and Hope at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. There were more than 1,000 participants.
 
1998 - MADD hosts the National Diversity Forum and the MADD National Board of Directors adopts recommendations from MADD's Diversity Task Force on program outreach to people of color. 

Brendan Brogan, 17, of New Jersey becomes the first youth member of MADD's National Board of Directors.

MADD commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Kentucky Bus Crash, the deadliest drunk driving crash in US history that killed 27 people and injured 30 others.

US Senate overwhelmingly passes federal .08 bill although House refuses to vote on amendment. Congress adopts a $500 million incentive grant program.

Zero Tolerance legislation is passed in all 50 states.
 
1999 - The MADD National Board of Directors unanimously votes to change the organization's mission statement to include the prevention of underage drinking.

Texas becomes the 17th state to establish .08 blood alcohol content as the illegal drunk driving limit.

The fourth MADD Rating the States Survey is released. The nation receives an average grade of C+ due to the leveling rate of decline in alcohol-related traffic deaths and thwarted passage of key federal legislation.

MADD and Sam Houston State University (SHSU) announce the launch of the National Institute for Victim Studies in Huntsville, Texas.

MADD has a presence in all 50 states and affiliates in Guam and Puerto Rico. 

Effective January 1, 1999, Washington State lowered the legal blood alcohol limit to .08 from .10 authorizing immediate license suspension for those failing the breath test and requiring ignition interlocks on all drunk drivers' vehicles to prevent them from starting their vehicles when intoxicated.

The new DUI laws work hand in hand with the new Driving While License Suspended (DWLS) Impound Law also being enforced as of January 1, 1999 in Seattle and other jurisdictions across the State.   The DWLS law authorizes the immediate impoundment of a suspended driver's car. See http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/news/1998/123098nr1.htm 
 
2000 - MADD kicks-off its 20th anniversary year with the Making a Difference Daily campaign honoring special

MADD volunteers every day of 2000. 

MADD has more than 600 chapters.
 
2001 - June 21, 2001 - MADD Washington State Office's website is born. 

2002 - On its 22nd anniversary, MADD updates its logo to update its identity and more clearly identify the services we offer (activism, victim services, education).