Overwhelmed with panic, fear, and confusion, I began sobbing mournfully. Within a minute, I had trouble breathing. A respiratory therapist rushed to my room to suction my trachea and adjust the ventilator. It was then that I realized how severe my injury was, that not only could I not move or feel my body; my injury was so severe that I could not even cry, for every time I did, phlegm would fill my airway and prevent me from breathing entirely. It was this day that I knew my life — my dreams and everything as I knew it — would never be the same.
My name is Tonya Winchester, and I am a victim and survivor of drunk driving. It was June 16, 2005 that I became paralyzed. Sixteen years later, not a day goes by that I don’t think about that night. Most days are actually amazing, despite my physical circumstances, as I have happily gained a new sense of identity, worth, and purpose.
To all our law enforcement, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I know the national climate has been thick this past year, in particular. I am sure many of you have felt tired, overwhelmed, sad, angry, hurt, not important, confused, and everything in between. Maybe you have seen some officers even quit or divorce or even had to experience one of your law-enforcement brothers and sisters pay the ultimate sacrifice in line of duty. With the workload being the other side of it, sometimes seeming so tedious and questionably worth it, especially to those of you with families . . . I want to tell each of you today that you are appreciated, loved, respected, and beyond valued. Please do not give up in this fight. In fact, may you feel even stronger and more empowered — empowered for justice for DWI crimes and victims and survivors of all crime to come. We need you. We appreciate you. And we love you!!!!!
Tim Burrows manages the National Law Enforcement Liaison Program for the Governors Highway Safety Association. His role is to support the nation’s Law Enforcement Liaisons (LELs), who work for State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) to promote law enforcement agency engagement in traffic safety activities at the state and local levels.
MADD proudly recognizes Officer Michael Williams of the El Paso Police Department as our Officer of the Month for June 2021. Officer Williams is assigned to the El Paso Police Department’s DWI Task Force.
MADD’s 2021 Court Monitoring Report was recently released and can be found at this link. Of interest, nationally, the conviction rate is only 63% in the 17 states where MADD currently has court monitors. The report also lists state by state reports and all can be found here. .https://www.madd.org/the-solution/drunk-driving/court-monitoring/
MADD/Ipsos Poll: Consumers Support Drunk Driving Prevention Systems in Cars
https://www.prweb.com/releases/madd_ipsos_poll_consumers_support_drunk_driving_prevention_systems_in_cars/prweb17799040.htm
DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING ENFORCEMENT TRAINING (DIDET)
https://www.sheriffs.org/trafficsafety/didet
Drug Impaired Driving Enforcement Training Opportunities Available
Impaired driving is one of the most serious problems on the roads today. As more states legalize recreational and medical marijuana, more law enforcement personnel must be trained in Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and as Drug Recognition Experts (DRE). Training has proven to be an effective tool in the fight against impaired driving. Increasing the availability of ARIDE and DRE training to officers, prosecutors, and the judiciary is an important next step. Contracts will be awarded to eligible U.S. law enforcement agencies and organizations to deliver regional training. Read more.
NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts: Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2019
Overview of the 2019 Crash Investigation Sampling System (dot.gov)
MADD and Waymo’s Tie One On For Safety Holiday Campaign.
2021 National Lifesavers Conference Registration is Open – Registration is now open for the 2021 National Lifesavers Conference on Highway Safety Priorities, which will be held virtually.
Register here >
The IACP has also released many new resources:
- Traffic Enforcement During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Processing DUIs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Considerations for Law Enforcement – includes considerations to take when making traffic stops or conducting traffic safety initiatives. Both resources were translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Arabic.
- Safe, Quick Clearance of Traffic Incidents toolkit – provides valuable information on adopting practices that facilitate the safe, quick clearance of traffic incidents.
- DRE State Coordinator Best Practices Guide to Managing an Effective DEC Program – contains guidelines and recommendations for state DRE coordinators to enhance their DEC Program.
-
On November 12, NHTSA published a Request for Information (RFI) on available or late-stage technology under development for impaired driving detection and mitigation. The RFI’s goal is to better understand the state of emerging technologies, particularly those targeting alcohol-impaired driving. The notice requests information about the capabilities, limitations, and maturity of impaired driving technologies that are being researched, developed, or marketed.
Please share this notice with your members and stakeholders to encourage the broadest possible response to this request. The RFI can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/11/12/2020-24951/request-for-information-impaired-driving-technologies
