NCJ Number
117194
Date Published
1986
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article describes the activities and impact of grass-roots citizen groups committed to reducing drunk driving, particularly among adolescents.
Abstract
Grass-roots organizations against drunk driving include the Illinois-based Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), and Remove Intoxicated Drivers-USA (RID). These groups have lobbied strongly for tougher laws to deter drunk driving. In the past 4 years, 45 States have passed 360 laws to crack down on drunk drivers. The new laws call for mandatory jail or prison sentences for first or second offenses and require all convictions to be listed on the driver's record. Community outrage over lenient judges and prosecutors has also prompted more courts to regard drunk-driving crashes as violent crimes. Many of the groups support rehabilitative measures combined with license suspensions designed to prevent continued driving for an appropriate period. Another thrust is an increase in civil law suits against drunk drivers as well as tavern and restaurant owners who continue to serve alcoholic beverages to already intoxicated customers. A particular problem is youth driving across borders from States with higher minimum drinking ages to States with lower drinking ages, thus increasing the risk of drunk driving across these borders. Citizen patrols equipped with CB's have patroled highways to spot drunk drivers and radio police to give location. The anti-drunk-driving movement shows no signs of waning, even though many successes have been achieved, since the problem still impacts so many lives.