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Madd Essay

Decent Essays

MADD
Ronice Washington
BSHS/355
6/5/2013
Carol Felcyn

MADD
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy.
The Irving, Texas–based organization was founded in 1980 in California by Candice Lightner after her 13-year-old daughter Cari was killed by a drunk driver. On May 3, 1980 Lightner’s 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a drunken hit-and-run driver at Sunset and New York Avenues in Fair Oaks, California. The 46-year-old driver, who had recently been arrested for another DUI hit-and-run, left her body at the scene.
MADD's original goal …show more content…

(Hanson, 2002-2007).
There were a lot of different policies put in place as a result of MADD’s persistence. The police force soon grew to include every recognized highway safety group in the state, along with legislators, insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, etc. The power of numbers was soon evident as the Coalition set legislative initiatives and used its power and influences to bring them to the public and to the forefront. Within two years, a graduated license law was passed that would require teens receive more driver training before hitting the highways alone. Other laws passed in that time included a secondary seat belt law, stiffer penalties for driving under the influence with children in the vehicle, the long-fought for Open Container law, and finally after 15 years, the .08 BAC law. Following are a couple of laws that MADD is spearheading in this state: Improve the enforcement of DUI/DWI laws with Sobriety Checkpoint Sobriety checkpoints are an effective, constitutional way to stop drunk driving that reduce alcohol-related fatalities by an average of 20%. However, some states still do not do sobriety checkpoints. Finally, there is a technology that has the potential to eliminate repeat drunk driving offenses the ignition interlock. These devices prevent a vehicle from being driven by a drunk driver and should be mandatory

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