DADSS Turning Cars Into the Cure for Drunk Driving

Hope. I love that word. I cherish the concept. I treasure the feeling. There were so many days after my daughter was killed by a drunk driver that I felt buried in the dark hole of despair, when I could see no possibility of light. It was a difficult climb to the surface, one I could never have made on my own. One person who held the light on for me until I could see it myself was my MADD victim advocate, always there to care, listen, and support.

Anger also accompanied my despair. I was furious with our society. How could we allow this violent crime to exist? It is so preventable. It is so unnecessary. I became vocal, actively participating with MADD to get "tougher" laws, believing that would become a deterrent so more folks would decide to drive sober or have a sober designated driver. Sadly, after a few years I became disheartened. The number of America's family members killed by drunk driving stayed relatively the same. My hope was waning. In fact, I was downright discouraged.

Some people continue to drive drunk because they can. Interestingly, because all the education and deterrents and punishments do not seem to stop the drunks from driving, we now have the development of advanced technology that will turn the cars into the cure.

Today my hope is renewed. We are living in the time when the vaccine to this horrible disease of drunk driving and the destruction it leaves in its path is being created and tested. Right now....as you read this....it is happening!

JT Griffin, MADD's Senior Vice-President of Public Policy, and I recently were privileged to visit the laboratory where it is being researched in Boston. Bud Zaouk (the gentleman with the dark hair you see in the photos) graciously educated and escorted us through the facility. It was inspiring.

The technology is called Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, or DADSS. It is a technology that will integrate a passive sensor into the vehicle, being able to detect the precise amount of alcohol in the driver's system. If that driver is at or above the legal limit of 0.08 BAC, the car simply will not start, or be driveable. The performance specifications are set at an extremely high level. It must perform absolutely accurately, precisely, reliably and work in a very short time (millisecond). This is now being tested for vehicle integration and consumers will have the option of purchasing a car with it already part of the package - much the way we had the option of having air bags in our vehicles years ago when they became available. It will not be mandated.

The DADSS is not to be confused with today's alcohol ignition interlock systems that convicted drunk drivers are sometimes required to place in their vehicles. They certainly are an effective tool in reducing drunk driving. In states requiring those for all convicted drunk drivers, fatalities caused by drunk driving have been reduced by over 30%. However, they are calibrated at a lower level of 0.02 BAC, because a person convicted of drunk driving is not allowed to have any alcohol while driving.

DADSS program is studying two prototypes. One is distant spectrometry, which uses infrared sensors that are triangulated on the person in the driver's seat. The other uses tissue spectrometry, which uses near infrared light that will perhaps be imbedded in the start button or the gear shift.

It was astonishing to have the mechanisms explained and demonstrated, indicating how very close we are to having this become part of our everyday reality...which means to me, to have the cars be the cure...which means that there will be a day when the car will simply not allow a person to drive it when impaired by alcohol at or above the legal limit.

The DADSS project is funded by our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. MADD is now urging Congress to support the ROADS SAFE Act, which will lengthen the time of funding this important research.

THIS WILL SAVE SO MANY LIVES. This is my hope. I hope it becomes your hope. Do call or email your Congressperson and tell them you want them to support this life-saving legislation. It very well could save the life of someone you love.

Warmly, Jan Withers

National MADD President

Too Drunk??

In Saturday's Washington Post there was an article about the DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety) and the potential technologies that NHTSA and the
Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) are looking into. Check it out at the link above...

Basically, two types of technologies are being explored to find out if they will work accurately, reliably and not hassle those of us who never drive drunk. These technologies might include a set of sensors in the car that would detect if you were at a .08 BAC+ in less than a SECOND! If you were, your car would not be drivable. It is also important to point out that these devices must aim to function without maintenance for at least 10 years and be inexpensive.

Rob Strassburger of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said it best: "We want the public to understand the need (for this potentially lifesaving equipment)and how they benefit."

We've all got to spread the word and let the public know that this potential technology is a very good thing and has the potential to save over 8,000...8,000 lives! We need Congress to put about $12M/per year into this. That is cheap compared to the cost of drunk driving currently. If you get a minute, please go to www.madd.org and take action by asking your member of Congress to support the ROADS SAFE act.

Happy New Year!

Well here we are on New Year's Eve and there is a lot of talk about parties and celebrating tonight. While you're planning your celebrations, it's important to keep safety in mind. Law enforcement officers all over the U.S. will be out in force watching for impaired drivers and taking a bunch of them to jail. You've probably seen the DOT commercials for "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest." Thank a law enforcement officer if you see one while you are out tonight. They give up a lot to work these holidays!

As we all know, New Year's Eve can be one of the most dangerous nights of the year because of drunk and impaired driving. But it doesn't have to be!

Simply by planning to use a taxi, a sober, designated driver or just staying home to party, you can lower your risks. Of course, we have to be watching out on the roads for those crossing our paths who didn't make safe plans to get home and being alert to making moves to get out of their way.

MADD wants everyone to have fun tonight and you can do that safely. Always drive sober and buckled up.

And about those resolutions...

I've got some of my own that include the usual "eating right and exercising," as well as re-reading some literature classics in 2011. What about you? Do you want to help out in eliminating drunk driving in your community or state? Check out www.madd.org and find your local chapter. We need not only volunteers, but donors to help us do our lifesaving work. Please consider a year end gift to MADD.

Together, we are getting closer to the day when there is no more drunk driving. Let's hope 2011 brings us great strides in reaching that goal. Happy New Year!

I'll be your DD!

Looking for that perfect gift—with a reasonable price tag? As the holidays approach, people may be feeling stressed about having to buy gifts when they don't have extra money. So spread some holiday cheer this season by downloading MADD’s Give the Gift of a Designated Driver coupon "redeemable" by your friends and family for a night of you being the sober, designated driver.

Play your part by downloading and sharing the coupon found at www.madd.org and telling friends that, “Tonight, I’ll be your DD.” The coupon is designed to ensure that all who redeem it will have a sober driver for the night.

MADD wants you to enjoy the season’s festivities, and if those celebrations include alcohol, please give the gift of a DD or use public transportation. Let's keep the season merry and bright for everyone!

A chapter in my life closes

Nineteen years ago next month, my life changed forever. Last Wednesday, October 20, a chapter in my life was permanently closed when as I held her hand, my first mother-in-law, Gwende Dean, died at age 75.

Drunk driving effects more than just those killed or injured in the crash. It effects everyone in the extended circle for years and years. Especially when the one killed was an only child.

My husband, Mike Dean, was that only child who was killed in a crash on November 21, 1991 at the young age of 32. Mike and his mom were close since she had raised him as a single mom. At the time of Mike's death, we had only been married two and a half years and our daughter was only 8 months old. Immediately following his death, I became her replacement child and I felt a great obligation to look after her. I have tried to do that for the last nineteen years.

When Gwende was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 and later with a small brain tumor, we knew the prognosis was fatal. She fought valiantly and never complained. Her goal was to see our daughter finish high school. She did live to see that, although she was too weak to attend the ceremony.

My family moved back to Texas earlier this year in some part to be closer to her as her life slipped away. Many trips were made to visit with her before she got to the point where she couldn't talk or use her motor skills any longer. Calls were made frequently to check with her caregiver to see how she was doing.

When I received the call on Oct. 17 that she had stopped taking food or water, I packed my car for the 4 hour drive north to her home. For over two days I sat beside her bed and read her the sports page because her team, the Texas Rangers, were finally in the ALCS playoffs. I had the TV on to the game last Monday evening in case she might hear any of it even though she was semi-comatose. I wanted her to know that her team was going to the World Series for the first time ever--so much so, that I told her they were in the Series even though they weren't at that point!

Gwende, or G.G. as we affectionately called her, breathed her last breath and stepped into eternity at 9:55 a.m. last Wednesday. She was finally reunited with her son--the one she loved and had missed so desperately for the last 19 years!

People who choose to drive drunk never consider how lives are impacted. They never stop to think that a Mom had to live with the grief of losing her only child. They never stop to think about a little girl who never had a chance to know her daddy Mike. They never stop to think that the ultimate stress that is put on a body through the grief process might--I believe DID--lead to cancer in a grieving mother.

Grief regurgitated...grief re-lived. A chapter in our lives has closed with the death of Gwende Dean. May she finally rest in peace.

Henderson's Light by Jack Torry

Author Jack Torry has written a book that you might want to read. "Henderson's Light" tells of a crash that happened in 1965 and how the crash still lingers in the minds of many (as many of you can relate to).

Last week, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood blogged about Mr. Torry's book saying, "On a chilly January evening in Birmingham, Michigan, a Buick Skylark with five teenagers was struck head-on by a Ford Galaxy driven by a young man who had been drinking. Three of those teenagers and the driver of the Ford were killed. It was 1965.

The stunned responses of those who knew the three kids included everything you might expect in 2010. "They had their whole lives in front of them." "A bright future." "Such good kids."

Alcohol involved crashes that injure or kill someone are not ever forgotten. Check out this book at Amazon.com.

MAD With One "D"

I've just started to be calm enough to post this blog entry. For the last two weeks I've been mad with one "d"...because it happened again.

Roy McConnell and his 3 sons were killed two weeks ago by a suspected underage, drunk driver who blew through a red light in St. Petersburg, FL and violently crashed into Roy's car. All of his kids were with him in the car. All of their wives/girlfriends were waiting at the beach house for them to return. They never came home.

I knew Roy from church. He was a fine drummer, triathlete and family man. He told me more than once that he admired my passion for stopping drunk driving. He was a friend of MADD on Facebook. He believed in the good in people and was a strong man of faith.

This crash was 100% preventable just as every other drunk driving crash is! Someone made a choice to drive after drinking and he is now accused of killing my friend and his 3 sons...devastating a family and a community.

If we do nothing, if we say nothing, then we change nothing. Please help us end this violent crime.

What would you do?

John Quiñones Co-Anchor of ABC News Magazine show Primetime has been hosting a segment called "What would you do?" which tests how individuals respond to ethical dilemmas through hidden camera scenarios. Last Friday night, his test involved a woman asking passerbys to blow into a ignition interlock for her.

The segment perpetuated some common misnomers:

• Blowing into the device isn't simple. It usually involves performance of a specific sequence of exercises that are taught to offenders and not easily replicated to just any passerby.
• Many new devices include cameras. The device takes a picture of the person blowing into the device. This information is transmitted to probation officers as part of their monthly report.
• Most devices require running retests. Driver must often provide breath tests at regular intervals, preventing drivers from asking a sober friend to start the car. If a driver fails a running retest, the vehicle’s horn will honk and/or the lights will flash to alert law enforcement.

The failure to make these points aside, the segment provided stunning proof that some people still treat drunk driving cavalierly. It also proved that laws and enforcement of those laws remain a major deterrent to this crime.

MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Marks 3rd Anniversary

Just a few weeks ago, MADD achieved yet another success in its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving with the passage of a first offender interlock law in New York. The victory comes on the heels of the Campaign's third anniversary.

In 3 years, MADD has:

• Passed statewide requirements for interlocks at .08 BAC in 12 states and a major pilot program covering four counties in California.
• Facillitated the establishment of a cooperative research agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the world’s leading automobile companiesand design prototypes are expected by the summer of 2010.
• Spread the word about the potential of technology as an antidote to the scourge of drunk driving.

Most importantly, lives have been saved. New Mexico and Arizona, two states to adopt a first offender interlock law, have seen fatality reductions of 35 percent and 33 percent respectively.

For more information, go to www.MADD.org.

New Mexico Drunk Driver Fakes Death to Avoid Prosecution

Just when you thought things couldn't get any crazier, an alleged drunk driver in New Mexico faked his own death in order to avoid prosecution.

Even his defense attorney is disgusted stating, “I’ve been an attorney 30 years, and I’ve never had a client try to fake their death before," she said. "I’m flabbergasted, and I no longer want to be his attorney.”

Texas woman arrested in hit and run on probation for DWI

The Beaumont Enterprise is reporting that a Texas woman arrested in a suspected hit and run was actually on probation for previous DWI.

This is why Texas needs ignition interlocks. While the technology is there, not enough judges are using it. The good news is that Texas legislators can change that.

There are several bills pending in the Texas legislature that would mandate ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. Send a letter to vote in favor of this bill.

Highway Deaths Down to 1961 Levels Highlighting Importance of Advanced Technology to Eliminate Drunk Driving

Yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Administration released a preliminary report of 2008 motor vehicle deaths. The report shows that 37,313 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year - a 9.1 percent drop from the year before, when 41,059 died and the fewest since 1961, when there were 36,285 deaths.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers issued a press release stating that the lower numbers underscore why automakers and policymakers need to continue pushing for "sound data and engineering innovation to advance sustainable, safe mobility."

In its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, MADD likewise supports the creation of advanced, in-vehicle technology in order to make drunk driving literally impossible one day.

12-Time Convicted Drunk Driver Arrested in Michigan

A Michigan man who has been convicted of drunk driving a dozen times is now facing a 13th drunk driving charge after getting arrested in Cadillac. Read the complete story from 9&10News.com.

New government data compiled from states illustrate an alarming trend: nationally, an estimated two million three-time or more and 400,000 five-time or more drunk driving offenders are sharing our roadways at any given time.

The newly released state progress report for MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving highlights the need for comprehensive alcohol ignition interlock laws in all states.

Washington State Driver Accused of DUI Hits 7 Cars in 13 Minutes

According to an article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, a Spokane, Washington man hit at least seven cars within 13 minutes, including one driven by an off-duty detective, before he was arrested for drunk driving.

Sign the Pledge to Eliminate Drunk Driving and support MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which aims to end drunk driving completely through:

• High-visibility law enforcement, including sobriety checkpoints
• Ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers
• Advanced vehicle technologies to prevent drunk driving
• Public support – led by MADD and concerned citizens nationwide

New Data Shows Disturbing Number of Repeat Drunk Drivers on American Roads

New government data compiled from states illustrate an alarming trend: nationally, an estimated two million three-time or more and 400,000 five-time or more drunk driving offenders are sharing our roadways at any given time.

The newly released state progress report for MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving highlights the need for comprehensive alcohol ignition interlock laws in all states.

Learn more about the Annual State Progress Report and Repeat Offense Data by State.

N.Y. Giants Offensive Tackle Arrested for DUI

According to an article in the New York Times, Kareem McKenzie, a starting offensive right tackle for the New York Giants, said Friday that he felt remorse after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol Thursday night in New Jersey.

Drunk driving is a choice, a crime, and 100 percent preventable.

Sign the Pledge to Eliminate Drunk Driving and support MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which aims to eradicate drunk driving completely through:

1. High-visibility law enforcement, including sobriety checkpoints
2. Ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers
3. Advanced vehicle technologies to prevent drunk driving
4. Public support – led by MADD and concerned citizens nationwide

Parents of Indiana Infant Arrested Separately for Drunk Driving

According to WSBT in South Bend, an Indiana woman was arrested for drunk driving with her 1-year-old son in the vehicle. When the father came to pick the child up he too was arrested for drunk driving.

MADD believes that driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is criminal and irresponsible. Having a child in the car elevates this criminal act to child abuse. Read MADD’s child endangerment report, Every Child Deserves a Designated Driver.

Sign the Pledge to Eliminate Drunk Driving and support MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.

Baker College President Arrested for DUI, Resigns

According to an article from WZZM, Rick Amidon, the president of Baker College in Michigan, has resigned following his arrest for driving under the influence of both alcohol and a controlled substance.

Amidon is the second Michigan college president to resign over drunk driving in less than ten days. Randy Flechsig, president of Davenport University, announced his resignation just before receiving a sentence for drunk driving in East Grand Rapids.

Sign the Pledge to Eliminate Drunk Driving and support MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which aims to eradicate drunk driving completely.

Texas Man Sentenced to 99 Years for DWI Conviction

According to an article in the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Roger Dale Guess was sentenced to 99 years in prison for felony driving while intoxicated, which was at least his sixth conviction.

Sign the Pledge to Eliminate Drunk Driving and support MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which aims to end drunk driving completely through increased law enforcement, ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, advanced vehicle technologies which will prevent a drunk person from operating a vehicle and public support.

Michigan Drunk Driving Suspect Hits Officer Making DUI Arrest

According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, a Flint, Michigan police officer was hit and injured by a suspected drunk driver, as the officer was arresting a person suspected of driving drunk.

MADD supports law enforcement agencies nationwide in their efforts to reduce drunk driving fatalities and injuries. Unfortunately, we know too well the dangers associated with this enforcement. Visit the Officer Victim Tribute to honor those law enforcement officers killed or injured by alcohol-impaired drivers or while enforcing drunk driving laws and/or underage drinking laws.