History Of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)

History of Women Against Drunk Driving (WADD)
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History of Women Against Drunk Driving (WADD)
After her daughter, Cali was killed in a hit-and-run drunk driving crash on May 3, 1980; Candace Lighter began to raise public awareness on the dangers of drunk driving. On September 5, 1980, she together with Cindi Lamb, also a mother whose child was a victim of drunk driving crash founded a not for profit organization called Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD). In 1984, the organization changed its name to Mothers Against Drunk “Driving” (MADD) citing their focus on the act of driving as opposed to the individual drunk drivers as the reason behind the change. The organization’s mission was to raise public awareness regarding the dangers of drunk driving, help victims and families of victims affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and strive for stricter impaired driving policy. This elaborate and realistic mission propelled MADD to popularity that not only made it grab the attention of the government but also boosted membership in 50 States and various provinces of the neighboring Canada. This research will therefore study the contributions of MADD in the fight against drunk driving, underage drinking and eradication or reduction in the number of drunk driving related deaths in United States and North America countries.
The Devastating Statistics and Its Relevance
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated that United States loses at least 28 lives daily in crash involving a driver under the influence of alcohol (Nady El-Guebaly, 2014). This is a pointer that a substantial percentage of drivers are either Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been working tirelessly since their inceptions to eliminate or drastically reduce this devastating statistics through various programs.
These devastating statistics was very instrumental in the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking as it revamped MADD efforts towards eradication of the alarming cases of deaths resulting from drunk drive crash. These programs have not only proved viable but have borne a number of fruits.
Using the statistics, MADD operated from a point of knowledge in addressing the vice. The statistics also brought to the attention of the government and the general public the seriousness with which the problem of drunk driving should be dealt with. The CDC report made MADD appealing to the public and led to the establishment its Chapters throughout the United States and various provinces in Canada. The contributions and influence of MADD in the fight against drunk driving, drinking, elimination and reduction of drunk drive related deaths can be categorized into three broad areas. These include legislative measures, influence on social norms and preventive efforts to bring positive change.
Influence on Public Policy and Legislation
In efforts to address the glaring monster of driving impaired related deaths and underage alcoholism, MADD developed a range of result oriented programs. They did this through the influential roles it played in the formulation of policies and legislation on alcoh...