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Texas leads nation in drunken driving

Posted Monday, September 8, 2008

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PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving supporters convened in Dallas to kick off their annual national conference Thursday at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.

The focus is MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which focuses on techniques and technologies that can eliminate drunk driving. Texas leads the nation in drunk driving and Dallas County is among the top five worst for drunk driving fatalities based on population.

Last year nearly 13,000 people were killed in drunk driving crashes across the country, and despite this, Texas leaders still have not passed sobriety checkpoints and interlocks for all convicted offenders. In 2007, 1292 people were killed by drunk drivers with a BAC over .08 in Texas.

"If we can stop drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel, we can prevent drunk driving tragedies," said Laura Dean-Mooney, MADD national president. "The technology to ensure that known drunk drivers stay off the road exists, and we can extend our services to the victims and survivors we serve, by letting them know we will do everything we can to prevent others from facing the tragic consequences of drunk driving."

Currently, Texas law requires that repeat drunk driving offenders install the ignition interlock system.

Leading the conference and the charge to eliminate drunk driving, new president Laura Dean-Mooney has been involved with MADD since her husband Mike Dean was killed in 1991 by a drunk driver in Texas, leaving her with an 8-month-old daughter. Dean-Mooney joined MADD to help craft better laws to ensure the tragedy never affected another family. As National President of the organization, she plans to work for changes to the law in all 50 states, as part of the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. The Campaign supports innovative steps such as mandated ignition interlock systems to prevent a drunk driver from driving after drinking.

This national conference offered more than 50 concurrent sessions where members of MADD affiliates from across the country shared ideas and learned more about methods to eliminate drunk driving, serve victims/survivors and prevent underage drinking.

With the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving going into its second year, several sessions offered information about these specific techniques and technologies that are working to eliminate drunk driving. Additionally, the annual Victim Services Tribute honored those killed/injured by drunk driving with photos in a visual presentation. Victims' photos were displayed at the event Friday.

Dean-Mooney spoke at the Victim/Survivor Tribute on Friday night to honor and celebrate the lives of those killed and injured due to drunk driving. The annual Tribute includes a slideshow featuring photographs of loved ones and is accompanied by music, poetry readings and inspirational messages.

The Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving has four elements: full implementation of alcohol ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, intensive high-visibility law enforcement, development of advanced vehicle technologies to prevent drunk driving and grassroots support led by MADD and its 400+ affiliates.

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