Impact of MADD on Drunk Driving in the U.S.

¶ … Mothers Against Drunk Driving Affected Social Policy

Why was MADD created?

The Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization was created in response to the alarmingly high levels of injuries and fatalities that were resulting from incidences of drunk driving. The stated mission of MADD is "to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking" (MADD mission, 2014, para. 2). The stated purpose of MADD contained in its articles of incorporation (September 5, 1980) is " "To aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to aid the families of such victims and to increase public awareness of the problem of drinking and drugged driving" (MADD mission statement, 2014).

The problem that lead to the creation of MADD

The MADD organization was created by the mother of a young woman who had been killed in a collision with a drunk driver (About us, 2014). In this regard, Cavendish (2006) reports that, "Mothers Against Drunk Driving was formed in reaction to drunk-driving fatalities and lenient sentencing of drunk-driving offenders" (p. 569).

How the problem was identified as a social problem

Even though thousands of people still die each year from collisions with drunk drivers, the rate has been drastically reduced since it was identified as a social problem in 1982, when records were first started (Drunk driving statistics, 2014). The rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population in 2012 was 3.3; this rate represents an enormous 64% decrease since 1982 (Drunk driving statistics, 2014). According to the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, "What this translates into is, for every 100,000 people in the U.S. In 2012, slightly more than three people were killed in a drunk driving fatal crash, a rate that has been cut almost in half over the past two decades - down from a rate of 6.3 in 1991" (Drunk driving statistics, 2014, para. 2).

Policies created as a result of MADD influence

To date, the MADD organization has succeeded in educating the American public concerning the dangers of drunk driving to the extent that the problem has been drastically reduced, but certainly not entirely eliminated (Cavendish, 2006). In this regard, Cavendish reports that, "MADD has popularized a number of consciousness-raising movements that have become integrated into the fabric of society. The One On For Safety public awareness campaign is MADD's longest-running national program" (p. 569). As part of this campaign, participants attach red ribbons to their vehicles to remind others of the dangers of drinking and driving (Cavendish, 2006). In addition, in the early 1980s, MADD also promoted the notion of having a designated driver responsible for transporting partiers back home (Cavendish, 2006). Finally, MADD's most significant legislative achievement was increasing the legal drinking age to 21 years old in 1984 (Cavendish, 2006).

The effects of these social policies on human service delivery