Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is an activist organization dedicated to addressing the issues surrounding drunk driving. Founded by Candace Lightner in 1980 after the tragic death of her daughter, MADD's mission encompasses supporting individuals affected by drunk driving incidents, advocating for stronger laws and enforcement, and promoting public education on the dangers of impaired driving. The organization has grown significantly since its inception, now boasting over 600 chapters across the United States and reaching international audiences.
MADD's efforts have led to substantial legislative changes, including a nationwide increase in the minimum drinking age and the establishment of a legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit of 0.08. The organization serves as a resource for victims and their families, offering assistance through trained advocates and a toll-free helpline. Funded by membership dues, donations, and grants, MADD also organizes fundraising events to support its initiatives. Overall, MADD has played a crucial role in promoting awareness and reducing the prevalence of drunk driving, claiming to have saved over 400,000 lives since its establishment.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
DEFINITION: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is an activist organization whose mission is to assist persons affected by drunk driving, to advocate for stricter drunk driving laws and enforcement, and to promote public awareness and educational programs.
DATE: Established on September 5, 1980
Background
Candace Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) after a drunk driver killed her thirteen-year-old daughter, Cari, on May 3, 1980, in Fair Oaks, California. Cari had been walking with a friend in a bicycle lane to a church carnival and was struck from behind. The forty-seven-year-old driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was 0.20 percent, about twice the legal limit.
The driver, who fled the scene after hitting Cari, had five previous drunk driving convictions and had just been released from jail for another hit-and-run accident. The driver was sentenced to two years in prison for Cari’s death, a sentence that her mother found too lenient. In response, Lightner formed MADD to help keep drunk drivers off the road and to help ensure that these drivers received stricter penalties.
Shortly after starting the organization, Lightner met Cindi Lamb, whose daughter Laura had become the youngest quadriplegic in the United States, at the age of less than six months, after a drunk driving accident. Lamb had already been writing letters to law enforcement and other agencies when she met Lightner; soon, the two women joined forces. MADD was the subject of a television movie in 1983. The movie, M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, starred Mariette Hartley as Candy Lightner and was produced and written by Michael Braverman.
In 1984, MADD changed its name to Mothers Against Drunk Driving to reflect its focus on the act of drunk driving. A board of directors, national president, and national board of advisors oversee MADD. The national office is in Irving, Texas. By the end of 1982, there were about one hundred local chapters. That number grew to 320 across the United States by 1985 and more than 600 chapters since the start of the twenty-first century. The organization also gained international reach. Membership is not restricted to mothers of victims or to the victims themselves; all persons who are concerned about drunk driving can join.
MADD has victim advocates in most US states. In addition to trained staff, the organization also has volunteer counselors for its toll-free helpline. The nonprofit relies on membership dues and individual donations to fund its efforts. MADD also receives federal and state grants. It conducts a number of fundraising events, such as Walk Like MADD.
Mission and Goals
MADD accomplishes its mission through public awareness and education, advocacy, and assistance. The initial mission was “To aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to aid the families of such victims, and to increase public awareness of the problem of drinking and drugged driving.” The original mission of MADD has evolved as the organization has grown. According to MADD, by the early 2020s the organization had helped save more than four hundred thousand lives.
MADD has lobbied for many judicial changes with great success. In 1984, the US Congress passed a law requiring states to increase their minimum drinking age to twenty-one years or be penalized through lower federal funding. In 1984, only twelve states had a minimum drinking age of twenty-one years, but by the end of that year, another twelve had changed that minimum. By the early 1990s, nearly all US states had changed the minimum.
Other legislative actions inspired by MADD include early changes by states to toughen their drinking and driving laws, such as requiring mandatory jail sentences for first-time offenders. In 2000, US president Bill Clinton signed a law requiring states to set their maximum allowable BAC level to 0.08. Before this time, most states allowed drivers’ BAC to be 0.10. By the late 2010s, MADD and other activists were pushing to have the allowable BAC level lowered to 0.05. Other laws inspired by MADD have included requiring ignition interlock devices for those convicted of driving under the influence.
Bibliography
Blocker, Jack S. Jr., et al. Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History: An International Encyclopedia. ABC/CLIO, 2003. Print.
Fell, James C. "The Merits of Adopting a 0.05 Administrative Blood Alcohol Concentration Limit for Driving." American Journal of Public Health, vol. 106, no. 6, June 2016, pp. 977–978, doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303187. Accessed 29 Nov. 2022.
Korsmeyer, Pamela, and Henry R. Kranzler. Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior. 3rd ed., Macmillan, 2009.
"MADD Has Helped to Save More Than 400,000 Lives." MADD, 28 Apr. 2022, madd.org/statistic/madd-has-helped-to-save-more-than-400000-lives/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.
"MADD Marks 40 Years of Lives Saved." MADD, 18 Feb. 2020, madd.org/madd-marks-40-years-of-lives-saved/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.
Polacsek, Michele. “MADD Victim Impact Panels and Stages-of-Change in Drunk-Driving Prevention.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol, vol. 62, 2001, pp. 344–50.