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Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been very successful in pushing for lower blood-alcohol levels, Draconian criminal penalties, widespread roadblocks, unreliable evidence — and eroding our constitutional rights in the process.  See, for example, The DUI Exception to the Constitution and DUI, MADD and the "New Prohibition".

However, it would appear that MADD’s aim might be constructively redirected to their fellow Mothers…

Drunken Driving Arrests for Women Up 36 Percent


Washington, DC. Dec. 6  – The number of drunken-driving arrests for women has shot up in recent years according to a study being released today by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation.

They’ve increased 36 percent over the last decade.

In case you’re thinking about having a glass of wine or two before bringing your child to a friend’s house, here’s more to ruin the idea: The study also found that the average female drunk driver is older and better educated than her male counterparts. They also tend to hold lower-paying jobs and be primary caregivers to children.

That profile wasn’t a shock to researchers since the study, funded by the distillers’ association The Century Council, was triggered by the attention-getting accident in 2009 when a mother, Diane Schuler, drove her minivan down the wrong side of a New York highway. She caused a crash that killed herself, her daughter, her three nieces and three men in another car. It was later determined that she had been drunk and high.

Schuler’s was an extreme case that jolted attention to the unspoken truth that some parents drink to excess while caring for their children. Upsetting as it was, though, the news left many parents thinking that her drinking shared no resemblance to their own. A glass or two of wine during the day didn’t seem in the same league.

What today’s study reveals is that mothering and drinking may be a more common problem than we realize…

Physician, cure thyself?
 

DUI BLOG

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are called Mom, Madre, Mommy, Mother, Mother-in-law, or you are a “stand in” Mom.  It is the greatest joy in my life to be called Madre or Momma by my daughter!

This is a picture of me with my Mom last Easter and I am so thankful that she is still with us at age 81.  But, I know this is a hard weekend for many of you who have lost your Mom, your child or your children.

Many will be mourning their moms or their daughters who never got the chance to be a mom or their only child–the one who made them a Mom.  Some single dads–who are now also mothers–will be mourning the loss of a wife and reliving grief at a time when so many celebrate their mother/wife.

No matter how the loss occurred–through a drunk driving crash or otherwise–it is a time to reflect on motherhood and what that means to us.

MADD was started by Candace Lightner after her daughter, Cari, was killed by a drunk driver.  Thanks to Candace, we are a 30 year old organization that serves a victim every 10 minutes, that works to keep families safe through education and prevention and that celebrates the heroes who keep our roads safer.  We all can be mothers!

A great way to honor your Mom is to make a donation to MADD in her honor.  You can do that easily at www.madd.org.

I wish you a day of joy if your Mom is still with you or a day of beautiful reflection if your Mom is gone.  Happy Mother’s Day!

Blog to Eliminate Drunk Driving

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Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Orange County)

We have gotten a lot of questions over the years about our name and its perceived exclusivity. Why are we just Mothers Against Drunk Driving?

The fact is, drunk driving affects fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, friends, coworkers, and the list goes on and on. While our founders were grieving mothers, MADD prides itself on reaching out to any individual affected by this tragic crime. In fact, our previous National President Glynn Birch was a father, not a mother.

Several years ago, we even looked into changing our name to address this very problem. But you know what we found out? In order to restablish the amount of awareness and public trust built up in our name, we would need to invest millions of dollars and countless years. In the end, we’d rather spend the generous donations of our supporters on the actual prevention of the crime rather than a rebranding campaign.

So instead, we try to refer to ourselves as MADD more than Mothers Against Drunk Driving. After all, we’re all capable of being MADD.

Blog to Eliminate Drunk Driving