MADD milestones: 21 age law, sobriety check points, universal .08
Pub Date: 12/1/2005
Editor's note: The following, due to space considerations, has been excerpted from the original documents at MADD's web site.
1980 Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) is established in California in May and is later incorporated on September 5. The first two chapters of MADD are created in California and Maryland.
MADD holds its first national press conference in Washington, D.C., with members of Congress and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in October, putting the drunk driving issue and the organization on the nation's radar screen.
1981 MADD receives its tax-exempt status.
1982 President Ronald Reagan announces the Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving and MADD is invited to serve as a member. MADD backs a resolution enacted into law by Congress to establish the first National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Week in December.
With MADD's help, a bill passes in Congress and is signed into law by President Reagan, which sets aside federal highway funds to give to states funding for anti-drunk driving efforts. MADD grows to 100 chapters by year-end.
1983 MADD's national office moves to Hurst, Texas. The government reports that 129 new anti-drunk driving laws pass by year-end.
1984 The Federal 21 Minimum Drinking Age Law is signed by President Reagan on July 17.
A direct mail campaign starts to educate the public and raise funds for MADD's mission. The organization changes its name to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. MADD grows to more than 330 chapters in 47 states.
1985 Telemarketing programs spur a major growth in grassroots support and serve as MADD's major public awareness campaign to educate the general public on drunk driving issues.
1986 MADD establishes Victim Assistance Institutes to train volunteers in supporting victims of drunk driving and serving as their advocates in the criminal justice system. Project Red Ribbon is introduced known today as Tie One On For Safety and MADD distributes one million red ribbons.
1987 National 1-800-GET-MADD hotline is launched to provide victim support. MADD submits an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court opposing an effort by several states to have the federal Age 21 law ruled unconstitutional. The law was successfully upheld.
1988 Omnibus Anti-Drug Abuse Act is signed. Included in this landmark bill is an amendment that extends the same compensation rights offered to victims of other crimes to all victims of DWI. Another amendment creates the Drunk Driving Prevention Act (Section 410), which increases incentives for key state DWI law enactment. The Alcohol Beverage Labeling Act, requiring warnings on alcohol containers, is also adopted.
MADDvocate magazine is launched. All 50 states pass the federal 21 law as the minimum legal drinking age.
1989 First MADD National Youth Conference is held in Washington, D.C. MADD forms Victim Impact Panels as a national program and publishes a "how-to" booklet and video.
1990 MADD files an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court over the constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints. Following a hearing, the court rules in favor of checkpoints.
MADD introduces its "20 by 2000" plan to reduce the proportion of traffic fatalities that are alcohol-related 20 percent by the year 2000. Four states lower their illegal blood alcohol content (BAC) law from .10 to .08 percent by year-end.
1991 Congress passes the intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), which includes a program to encourage states to adopt key anti-DUI legislation. MADD has a key role in shaping the program. First national MADD Rating the States survey is released.
1992 MADD-sponsored survey on drunk driving reveals that Americans cite drunk driving as the No. 1 problem on the nation's highways. MADD testifies on legislation which requires extending the current health and safety warnings on alcohol beverage containers to all alcohol advertising.
1993 Second national Rating the States survey is released. The nation receives a "B-."
1994 MADD releases the results of a survey on drunk driving, which shows the public is becoming increasingly less tolerant of drunk drivers and more supportive of stiffer penalties.
Release of the 1993 Fatal Accident Reporting System statistics reveals that alcohol-related traffic deaths dropped the previous year to a 30-year low. Chronicle of Philanthropy survey shows MADD as America's most popular charity.
1995 MADD announces a goal of reducing alcohol-related traffic fatalities to 11,000 or fewer by the year 2005. MADD begins holding Public Policy Institutes to train state public policy liaisons in DUI issues and legislative "how-to" techniques. Federal Zero Tolerance Law passes by Congress, tying federal highway funds to the passage of a state-level version of the Zero Tolerance Law.
1996 MADD announces new focus on underage drinking and impaired driving. MADD launches its Web site www.madd.org. Third national Rating the States survey is released announcing a drop in nation's grade to a "C."
1997 MADD reaches 20 x 2000 goal three years ahead of schedule when the percentage of alcohol-related traffic crashes falls below 40 percent. First MADD National Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking is held. DRIVEN magazine is launched.
1998 First youth representative is elected to MADD's National Board of Directors. MADD commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Kentucky Bus Crash the deadliest drunk driving crash in U.S. history killing 27 and injuring 30 others.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes federal .08 percent BAC bill, although the House refuses to vote on the amendment. Congress adopts a $500 million incentive program. Zero Tolerance legislation passes in all 50 states.
1999 MADD National Board of Directors unanimously votes to change the organization's mission statement to include the prevention of underage drinking. Fourth national Rating the States survey is released. The nation receives an average grade of "C+" due to the leveling rate of decline in alcohol-related traffic deaths and thwarted passage of key federal legislation.
MADD releases its Higher Risk Driver Program targeting repeat offenders, high BAC drivers and those driving on a suspended license as a result of a DWI.
2000 A sponsored survey is released showing 97 percent name recognition for MADD and growing support for .08 BAC and other MADD initiatives. MADD grows to approximately 600 chapters and two million members/supporters.
The second MADD National Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking is held in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Congress passes a national .08 BAC measure as part of the Federal Transportation Appropriations Bill. President Clinton signs the bill into law. By the end of the year, 21 states lower the illegal drunk driving limit to .08 BAC.
2001 MADD is named one of Worth magazine's 100 Best Charities in America. MADD launches Fake ID and Street Smarts, multi-media school assembly programs for students.
The first MADD National Board of Advisors is announced, bringing together experts and celebrities dedicated to MADD's mission. MADD joins other leading victim service organizations to issue a series of trauma recovery tips following the tragic September 11th attacks on America.
2002 MADD unveils its eight-point action plan to reduce alcohol-related traffic deaths and injuries. MADD joins other health and safety groups to release a national public opinion poll showing that 71 percent of Americans would support increasing the national beer tax.
MADD updates its image with the launch of a new logo. MADD issues its fifth national Rating the States report, giving the nation a "C" grade. Thirty-four states and D.C. pass the .08 BAC law by year-end.
2003 MADD hosts its first MADD Media Awards program with a luncheon in Washington, D.C., honoring winning journalists and media outlets for outstanding coverage of issues related to MADD's mission.
The 2003 MADD National Board of Advisors is announced made up of notable celebrities, traffic safety experts and business leaders. MADD launches FACE, a multimedia show for students. Forty-five states and D.C. pass the illegal .08 blood alcohol concentration law by year-end.
2004 MADD convenes its first Law Enforcement Leadership Summit to discuss best practices in lowering impaired driving deaths and injuries.
MADD's child endangerment report, Everyone Deserves a Designated Driver, is released highlighting the need to protect children riding in vehicles with impaired parents or care givers. By July, all 50 states and D.C. pass .08 BAC as the illegal drunk driving limit.
Seven (7) congressional members introduce the STOP Underage Drinking Act, legislation spurred by the NAS report, with MADD's support. The new national victim services hotline 1-877-MADD-HELP-is launched as a dedicated line for victim support.
2005 MADD enters its 25th anniversary year with the theme of "MADD Celebrates Life." MADD releases its Law Enforcement Leadership Summit Report outlining the importance for increased enforcement including sobriety checkpoints to stop drunk driving.
MADD launches its newest multimedia school assembly show, Backstage Pass, sponsored by Daimler Chrysler and its Road Ready Teens program. In June, MADD announces Glynn Birch as its first-ever male national president in the organization's 25 year history.
MADD commemorates the 21st anniversary of the 21 Minimum Drinking Age Law with a 21-city "National Night of Compliance" led by MADD's Youth In Action teams and law enforcement who conducted alcohol retailer stings to limit youth access to alcohol.
Source: ABL Leader, December, 2005, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.