Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

Campaign to eliminate Drunk Driving driver impairment by alcohol or drugs is a chronic public health crisis, killing more than 13,000 in 2022 in the u.s. Impaired Driving is a problem that transcends transportation, law enforcement, and clinical care systems. Despite its persistent nature, the problem is not intractable. There are many existing evidence-based and promising strategies to address impaired Driving; however, a coordinated, multilevel approach across multiple sectors is required to accelerate change. Across our 44-year history, madd has worked to solve the defining problems of impaired Driving. Today's challenges are defined by large, intersecting issues that imperil decades of development gains. To drive progress, madd aligns on specific objectives and adopts new strategies to achieve them across all 50 states and puerto rico where we work. Madd is on the front lines, changing policy and legislation that continue to make our roads safer for generations to come by preventing Drunk and impaired Driving, from the 1984 minimum drinking age law signed by president reagan, to the 2000 .08 bac measure signed by president clinton and to the halt act signed as part of the 2021 infrastructure investment and jobs act by president biden- an unprecedented and ambitious federal mandate that could reduce impaired Driving deaths by more than 90 percent by requiring that all new passenger vehicles be equipped with driver impairment detection technology. Madd is leading the work to accelerate implementation of this evidence-based technology in cars that will eliminate Drunk Driving. Madd continues to lead grassroots advocacy efforts to enact more than 200 state laws that include protecting fair and just high visibility traffic safety enforcement, and advocating for ignition interlocks for all offenders, to supporting state efforts for a .05 bac, to bentley's law which enables surviving children access to financial remuneration after the death or injury of a parent from a Drunk or drugged Driving crash. Madd community based activists are working to pass laws that prevent impaired Driving and protect road users where they live and work. Madd is also changing the perception of Drunk and drugged Driving, framing it not as an "accident" but as a crash and a violent crime.

Underage prevention madd's underage drinking and other drug use education + prevention programs were developed based on evidence-based research. The presentations are taught by a trained and certified madd facilitator. Our power of parent program empowers and encourages parents and caring adults to have ongoing, intentional conversations with the youth in their lives about the dangers and consequences of underage substance use. Our youth programs - power of you(th) and power of me! - contain developmentally age-appropriate content with several engaging activities throughout to promote students' ownership of the information and to reinforce the skills taught during the presentation. Madd's underage substance use prevention programs create a total community mobilization by empowering parents, youth, law enforcement, and concerned citizens to tackle this problem of underage drinking and other drug use, which is madd's ultimate prevention tool in creating the generation that will end substance-impaired Driving. In 2023, a parent or teen was educated by madd on underage substance use every 5 minutes with a total combined program outreach of 169,350.

Victim services on average, two in three people will be involved in a Drunk Driving crash in their lifetime. At madd, we believe that the services that we provide to victims can be a key part of the solution. In 2023, madd provided nearly 110,000 direct services to victim-survivors of substance-impaired Driving through emotional support, criminal justice advocacy, information and referrals, and assistance with crime victims' compensation provided by our national syndicate of trained victim advocates. The victim services network is an essential driver for collaboration, innovation, and advocacy across 50 states and puerto rico that provides direct services and support to victims and survivors. Madd shows up with empathy, support, and resources when victims need us most, providing supportive services to a victim every five minutes. The victim services network delivers the following services: - connect victim services teams, volunteers, and advocates allowing for collaboration. - capture, centralize, and use data to drive our internal structure, policies, programs, and research. - strengthen our capacity, training, and coverage across the country. - bolster our victim services for all with an increased and intentional focus on serving bipoc communities. - build a unified victim services experience, working locally to make it easier for people to access all that madd offers. - monitor the criminal justice system to provide support to victims and survivors. Madd empowers victims and survivors as advocates for change as they tell their stories to educate, prevent and legislate for change. The role of victim advocates is a very important one in the healing journey that follows. Madd staff and volunteer victim advocates attend and complete madd's volunteer victim assistance training institute to receive certification. The victim advocates are the foundation for competent service delivery to those impacted by Drunk and impaired Driving crashes. Madd's victims and survivors are leaders in educating the public and policymakers about the realities of impaired Driving. They speak out in many ways, including the sharing of their personal stories across their communities. It is through their vulnerability that we are able to change minds and the culture of the decisions that people make and to revive public and policy-maker attention to resolve impaired Driving on america's roadways. Madd offers a variety of strategies to turn public concern into decisive action to address this tragic and preventable problem.