Practice Makes Perfect

This is a tragic example of how families are impacted by drunk drivers. Our hearts go out to this family during this very difficult time. How many warnings were there about this man's driving? How many people knew he was a menace to the roadways? How many times could an interlock have been installed and was not? Interlocks stop drunk driving offenders from driving drunk. Now, two lives are gone because the offender found other ways to drive drunk.

So much to do so little time...

There is a lot being said about cell phones and driving and texting and driving lately. Everyone seems to agree that all of these "(fill in the blank) and driving" things are not very good when everyone should be paying attention to the road. We all want to arrive home safely. We all want our families and friends protected from senseless tragedies. Tragedies are bad enough but when they could have been prevented there is another level of anger and grief that is hard to recover from. Could be that everyone is just trying to squeeze too much in during a 24 hour day and time in the car seems like a perfect place to fill in the gaps. We need to figure out the balance of when our choices that may appear in one way to simplify things and when they may actually put us in harm's way and end our lives or someone else's.

Guest Blog by Carl McDonald-MADD National Law Enforcement Initiative Manager

Recently a television show starring Steven Segal comes to our attention because it allegedly portrays law enforcement officers giving breaks to drunk driving offenders. The name of the show is “The Lawman” and it’s airing on the A&E Network.

I’ve looked at three episodes and I am stunned. This is a “reality” show based on Segal riding shotgun on some sort of mall-cop party patrol with the good old boys down in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana where it appears the sheriff’s deputies are behaving more like middle school hall monitors than law enforcement officers.

We support our law enforcement officers nationwide. It’s a natural partnership for us and them. However, partnerships are two-way streets and the portrayal of “law enforcement” seen on this show is some sort of relic from over 30 years ago when drunk driving was exacting the heaviest toll on our nation’s roadways. This isn’t law enforcement, this is a joke.

In three separate episodes, three different occasions arise where officers come in contact with impaired drivers – one involving a fairly serious injury collision complete with a witness from the bar the driver just vacated before overturning his car and ejecting his friend during the rollover. These guardians of the law failed to request blood tests on the driver.

I might think that was an editing error until we focus in on two more people who are deemed “too drunk to drive” by these clowns, but allowed to leave in a taxi or walk away without standardized field sobriety testing and without proper arrest decisions being attempted.

I called Colonel Fortunado of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and spoke to him about the behavior evidenced during these episodes. He spoke to me about “officer’s discretion” and the lack of state troopers available to evaluate the drivers, while assuring me that they make an arrest of a “really drunk guy” in a future episode.

I’m sure they do. No doubt they have to…because we are watching.

Tax Court Lets DUI Driver Write Off Car Damage

Today's Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Tax Court last week allowed the driver of a car to write off thousands of dollars of damage after he totalled it while under the influence. The reason? Driving after drinking doesn't amount to willful negligence in itself.

Excuse me. Repeat that again.

Driving after drinking doesn't amount to willful negligence in itself.

What could be more negligent than getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated? And willful ... well unless that gentleman was forced at gunpoint to get behind the wheel of the car and drive, then his actions seem awfully willful.

Nearly 30 years after our battle began, this attitude remains prevelant in our justice system. Make a difference now. Join MADD's battle to eliminate drunk driving once and for all. We need your help to stop injustices like this from continuing in courtrooms across the country.

New Mexico Man Arrested for 23rd DWI

A New Mexico man was arrested Wednesday for DWI number 23. How is this man even walking the streets?

The New York Times Hits the Nail on the Head

MADD shared the response below to The New York Times wheels blog titled "Support Grows for Alcohol Interlocks on Cars." The journalist got it right. Interlocks do work and people who drive drunk deserve them. Some want everyone to believe MADD stands for Mothers Against Drinking Daiquiris and that is just wrong. We're ok if you drink a daiquiri, we just want you to make sure you designate a sober driver before you do.

MADD response on NYT blog:

If we have vehicle features that already work overtime to protect and assist the driver, it only makes sense to add anti-drunk driving to that list. No one wants to share the roads with a drunk driver and nearly 13,000 people a year die because of drunk driving and so many more are injured. MADD wants to use technology to stop drunk driving not drinking alcohol.

Say What?!?! Drunk Driver in Crash Had 78 Prior License Suspensions

The Daily Record reports that a man whose license has been suspended 78 times was allegedly driving drunk when he crashed into a pickup truck, injuring a man and his 4-year-old daughter Monday.
His license was first suspended on March 3, 1987, for DWI. Since then, his license was suspended 12 times for that same offense.

This story illustrates the importance of mandating ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. License suspensions simply do not work.

If a convicted drunk driver is going to get behind the wheel of a car, isn't it better to know that they are sober?

Support mandatory ignition interlocks in your state.

Driving instructor guilty of giving lesson while drunk

What is worse than a teacher driving drunk? How about a driver's ed teacher drunk while giving a lesson. Great lesson, teach!

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.”

Teen Sensation Raises Valid Points

According to this online report, Miley Cyrus is concerned about increasing underage drinking. The 16-year-old Disney star tells Glamour magazine, "At one of my very first awards shows I ever did, there was a bottle of vodka in my gift bag." She goes on recalling, "No one cared that they were giving this to a 12-year-old."

Some young girls, as young as five, follow Cyrus' every move, memorizing lyrics to her songs and hanging posters in their rooms. She has a huge following of young girls and it is good to see she has concerns about the nation's number one youth drug problem--underage drinking.

The earlier youth drink, the more likely they will become dependent and drive drunk later in life according to research. Interestingly, women are catching up to men in drunk driving and New Mexico's Department of Transportation has a new ad campaign reminding women, that they too, need to never drive drunk. Check out this website.

New Mexico takes the issue of drunk driving very serious being the poster-state for anti-drunk driving efforts nationwide and leading the charge with interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. New Mexico's alcohol-involved crash deaths decreased 19 percent from 2007-2008; and 35 percent from 2004-2008 because of its commitment to eliminate drunk driving.

If more young women and men stood up against underage drinking, and their parents too, the whole nation would see less deaths and injuries on and off the roadways. And, all of those 16 year olds would become more responsible adult drivers and be able to live a long, full life filled with graduations, new jobs, new marriages, and new babies. Now, that is the best of both worlds, as Miley says in her hit song.

Stay tuned to 2009 summer launch of MADD's parents' initiative aimed at preventing underage drinking by creating a clearinghouse of knowledge and a contract for parents and their teens to sign.

Parents busted for DUI

A mother and father from South Windsor, New Hampshire were arrested for drunk driving with their four year old child in the car.

Driving intoxicated with children in the car is a form of child abuse pure and simple. It must not be tolerated by lawmakers, communities, or family members. No child should be put at risk by having to ride in the car with a drinking driver.

In March 2004, MADD released its report Child Endangerment Report: Every Child Deserves a Designated Driver. This comprehensive report, based on the recommendations of an expert panel of child and victim advocates, attorneys, judges, law enforcement officials, policy specialists and a bereaved parent, highlights weaknesses in state laws against child endangerment and calls for increased penalties and more training and awareness about the problem.

Fargo Police Bust Two for DUI in Same SUV

Fargo, North Dakota police arrested two people for driving under the influence in the same vehicle. Read the complete story from INFORUM News.

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

Atlanta Falcons Safety Lawyer Milloy Charged with DUI

Gwinnett County, Georgia police charged 34-year-old Lawyer Milloy with driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding after the Falcons' loss at Tampa Bay the night before. Read the complete story from WTVM.

Sign MADD’s Pledge to Eliminate Drunk Driving and do your part to permanently eliminate drunk driving.

Florida Mother, Daughter Arrested on DUI Charges

Read the complete story from TCPalm.com.

New Jersey Drunk Driver Who Caused Crash Was Afraid Mom Would Find Out He Drank

Police have heard many excuses from suspected drunken drivers over the years. But police say what they heard from a 36-year-old Toms River man is one for the books: He told them he was driving around until he was sober enough to go home, fearing his mother would know he was drunk.

Read the complete story from LoHud.com.