AAA and MADD Georgia Reach Teens Statewide
In partnership with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Georgia (MADD Georgia) visited high schools across the state from Powder Springs to Savannah to share the dangers of drinking and driving.
As a Statewide Sponsor of MADD Georgia, AAA has been a crucial partner in the fight to make our roads and communities safer. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA Foundation) was founded in 1947 as non-profit, publicly supported charitable research and education organization dedicated to saving lives by preventing traffic crashes and reducing injuries when crashes occur. The Foundation’s mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce injuries when they do occur.
March signals the start of prom season for Georgia high schools, which makes it a crucial time for outreach initiatives for underage drinking prevention, drunk driving prevention, and the promotion of safe driving practices. Car crashes are still the leading cause of death in teenagers, and 1 in 4 car crashes with teenagers involve an underage drunk driver (Get the Facts). MADD Georgia and AAA engaged with students during their pre-prom events including lunchroom discussions, assemblies, and presentations.
At Jenkins High School in Savannah, AAA provided a driving simulator that allowed students to attempt to “drive” while the vehicle was configured to make it feel like they were driving while intoxicated. After the simulation, the students visited the MADD table to learn about the negative effects alcohol has on their bodies if they consume alcohol before the age of 21, and took a mock roadside sobriety check with Intoxi-goggles that simulated intoxication from a level of 0.07 to 1.0 g/Dl. Most students were unaware that the legal level of intoxication can result from 1-2 alcoholic beverages.
United in their efforts to keep roads and communities safe, MADD Georgia and AAA reached both students and their parents to educate them on the dangers of drinking and driving and the importance of instilling safe driving practices for young drivers early in their driving careers. MADD’s Power of Parents, Power of Youth, and AAA’s Impaired Driving Curriculum worked together to reach both parents and their students.
North Springs Charter High School in Atlanta was the winner of Fulton County’s Prom Safety contest, sponsored by the Fulton County Youth Commission in collaboration with AAA, MADD Georgia, and Radio One (HOT 107.9), among others. The contest consisted of a social media campaign that promoted students to make safe choices on prom night. Participating schools submitted entries that focused on preventing DUI, underage drinking, drug use, texting and driving, peer pressure, bullying, and other forms of violence.
North Springs Charter High School was presented with a $1,500 check from AAA for their winning entries that discouraged their peers from drinking underage, not to drink and drive, and not to text and drive. In addition to the funds, North Springs Charter High School also received a prom event hosted at The Foundry at Puritan Mills in Atlanta, featuring a celebrity DJ and live radio broadcast.
The AAA Foundation and MADD Georgia spent March, April, and May traveling to high schools across Georgia sharing the message of the dangers of underage drinking and drinking and driving pose to today’s youth. Through this partnership, MADD Georgia and AAA were able to share these lifesaving messages to youth across Georgia so that they have the resources needed to plan ahead to keep themselves and their friends safe during the prom season.
MADD Georgia is grateful to the AAA Foundation for its dedication to saving lives on our nation’s roadways and for the opportunity to reach Georgia’s youth.