NCJ Number
218404
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 55 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2007 Pages: 32,34,35
Date Published
April 2007
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the four key campaign elements of Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s (MADD’s) new goal of eliminating drunk driving in the United States within a generation.
Abstract
The four key campaign elements are: (1) intensive and high-visibility law enforcement; (2) the requirement of alcohol ignition interlock devices for all convicted drunk drivers; (3) the establishment of a Blue Ribbon panel of international safety experts to assess the feasibility of a range of technologies designed to prevent drunk driving; and (4) the mobilization of grassroots support. In terms of the first campaign element, MADD will sponsor law enforcement crackdowns twice a year as well as frequent enforcement efforts, such as sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols in all 50 States. The second component, interlock devices to prevent a vehicle from starting when it detects alcohol, have been shown to reduce DUI recidivism an average of 65 percent. Despite their effectiveness, they are underused by most courts due to misperceptions about the technologies available. In working toward the third component, MADD has gained the commitments of a number of vehicle manufacturers, alcohol ignition interlock companies, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to work together toward the goal of implementing a range of effective technologies to prevent drunk driving. Finally, the fourth component focuses on rallying local support for MADD initiatives toward alcohol-free roadways.