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Embracing MADD message to eliminate impaired driving

Brent Jennings, PE
Highway Safety Manager
This last week (late June) an event called “Walk like MADD” was held in Boise. I am sure most know, but MADD stands for Mothers Against Drunk Driving and was founded in 1980.

The primary mission of MADD is to aid victims and families, raise awareness, and support advocates to stop drunk driving. As part of this event MADD national president, Jan Withers, came to Boise for participation and support. Ms. Withers lost a 15-year-old daughter to drunken driving, and I had the privilege of personally hearing her story and how this tragic event changed her life forever.

In Idaho, over the last three years (2009-2011), there have been 210 fatal crashes and 602 serious injury crashes involving impaired drivers that have resulted in 240 people killed and 820 people seriously injured.

This represents 39 percent of all fatal crashes (and 40 percent of fatalities) and almost a fifth (19 percent) of all serious injury crashes (and 20 percent of serious injuries). The summer months of May through August have the largest percentage of fatal and serious injury- and impaired-driver crashes, with 46 percent. The crashes were fairly evenly distributed among the four summer months.

Enforcement plays a large role toward the elimination of drunken driving, and the efforts of all our law enforcement partners are deeply appreciated. Education also can play a large role in that parents and role models can be a huge influence on young people’s decision about alcohol and driving. As a society, we are starting to see more and more that it is just socially unacceptable to drink and drive. This is encouraging.

There still is much work ahead. The Office of Highway Safety is undertaking three significant projects over the next 18 months that I believe will contribute greatly toward the elimination of death and serious injury as a result of impaired driving. I will report on each of these projects in more detail in coming editions of Quick Notes.

Now, switching gears for a moment, I believe many of your know one of our Program Managers, Cecilia Awusie, departed from our office to become a full-time mom.

Cecilia contributed greatly to our highway safety programs, and her work was recognized nationally. Cecilia is greatly missed, but I have a feeling she will become engaged in community efforts on highway safety.

With that said, it is my pleasure to announce the arrival of Josephine O’Connor as our new Program Manager. Josephine (Jo) is not new to us; she has worked before as a Program Manager in the Office of Highway Safety. She left that position several years ago to start and manage the Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program, which has been a resounding success. It is a pleasure to welcome Jo O’Connor back to our office.

Thanks again to all our Highway Safety Partners that help us along “Toward Zero Deaths.”

Photo: Deputy Director Scott Stokes with representatives of the MADD organization.