WASHINGTON – Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is proud to partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 48 other “First Movers” in the new National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) Call to Action campaign aimed at aggressively tackling the rising number of deaths on America’s roads.
The campaign seeks partners to commit to ending the roadway crisis that saw two straight years of historic increases in estimated traffic deaths. According to 2021 estimates, 10,000 more people died in traffic crashes than a decade earlier. Drunk driving deaths also rose to levels not seen since 2008, with an estimated 12,000 people killed in 2021.
With traffic deaths increasing at historic rates, all expertise and available resources must be deployed to build safer roads, achieve 100% seatbelt use and prioritize advanced technology for safer cars as soon as possible, including mandatory impaired driving prevention technology required by the Infrastructure Law. The technology will save 9,400 lives when fully implemented on all cars.
The NRSS also calls for traffic enforcement specifically focused on dangerous driving behaviors including impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving and failure to wear seatbelts, along with supporting the development and accessibility of training designed to enhance fair and equitable law enforcement.
As part of the DoT’s Call to Action, organizations are asked to describe their commitment to zero deaths and injuries on America’s roads.
“MADD will continue to engage impaired driving victims and survivors, ensuring their voices are heard while supporting the NRSS and its goal of zero fatalities,” MADD’s Commitment to Action says. “These actions will include providing opportunities for victims and survivors to share their powerful stories, continuing to educate on the dangers of impaired driving, supporting fair and equitable high-visibility traffic safety enforcement of impaired driving laws, and advocating for implementation of an advanced impaired driving prevention technology standard on all new cars.”
About Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking. MADD has helped to save more than 400,000 lives, reduce drunk driving deaths by more than 50 percent and promote designating a non-drinking driver. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® calls for law enforcement support, ignition interlocks for all offenders, and advanced vehicle technology. MADD has provided supportive services to nearly one million drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge through local victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. For more information, visit us at madd.org and follow MADD on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Contact: Becky Iannotta, [email protected]
