A Mission for MADD

You are here for a reason, I am guessing it is because you support the work MADD Nebraska does in the community or want to learn more about it. But, how much do you know about the mission that drives MADD and the goals we are working towards as an organization. Over the course of the next few weeks, we are going to take a deeper look at each of the four different parts of the MADD mission, why they are important and what we are doing in each of them.

Today, we are starting with the first and oldest aspect of the MADD mission, “To Eliminate Drunk Driving”

By our name alone you can tell we are working to end drunk driving in our country. We know that drunk driving isn’t just an accident or a victimless crime. It is a violent killer on the roadways of our nation. That is why in 1980 MADD was founded. And we have made a lot of progress towards completing this part of our mission. MADD has been influential in the changing of multiple laws that have created a reduction in impaired driving, such as the .08 BAC law. Currently, we are working towards implementing and strengthening all-offender ignition interlock laws across the country.

Another essential part of this mission prong is the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. Through this we are working to support the heroes in law enforcement, supporting their work in arresting impaired drivers, staying trained in the newest trends and working to conduct sobriety checkpoints. MADD Nebraska also recognizes the work done in our state each year by honoring law enforcement, probation, prosecutors and community partners for the work they do in keeping our state safe from the dangers of impaired driving. The Campaign also looks at advancing technology, in-vehicle technology that will hopefully one day create a world where our cars prevent us from driving impaired.

The last part of the campaign and one of the vital parts of this part of our mission is education. We here at MADD Nebraska are working to change the public perception of impaired driving and change the behavior. If we can educate everyone on the true risks of impaired driving, convince everyone to make the choice to never drive impaired, then we create a future with No More Victims. We know this is possible because we aren’t alone in doing it. While we go out and speak in our communities, each conversation you have about your experiences and why you don’t drive impaired helps others to make a better choice in the future.

So many strides have already been made, impaired driving has gone down over time, but our work is far from done. Next blog, we will discuss the next aspect of our mission and the next challenge we face, drugged driving.