MADD, A Driving Force for Change

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M.A.D.D. is a political interest group for all mothers against drunk driving. It was specifically created for mothers of kids who have fallen victim to drunk drivers, whether it be in injury or in death. Founded on September 5th 1980, M.A.D.D. has made a huge impact on the government today and an even bigger impact on society. The idea of M.A.D.D. was first introduced by a mother, Candice Lightner, who lost her thirteen year old daughter in a car accident killed by an intoxicated driver. She took action and initiative after the loss of her daughter to help prevent drunk driving accidents so other parents wouldn’t have to go through the grief of the loss of a loved one, especially their son or daughter. Whether it be spreading awareness, or helping pass laws such as Kyleigh’s Law in New Jersey, the women of M.A.D.D. have made a name for themselves as persistent, successful mothers who are committed to making the roads a safe place for their children, now and in the future.

The mothers against drunk driving and their foundation have saved over 300,000 lives to date with their growing foundation and implemented laws. In the beginning of their road to success, M.A.D.D.’s mission statement was “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,1) When M.A.D.D. came together in 1980, they were originally called the mothers against drunk drivers, however, as time moved on they changed their name to the mothers against drunk driving and stated that they were opposed to the crime of drunk driving, not the individuals that committed the crime. In 1999, M.A.D.D. h...

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...this group, the laws that are enforced today would not be passed and our roads would be a much more dangerous place to drive. They incorporate great ideas and strong will to help the government with support in the laws that make the communities in the United States safer and help them feel safer when they’re on the roads.

Works Cited

Lockwood, Jim. “N.J. parents, teens protest against Kyleigh's Law at Morris County lawmakers' offices”. 13 May 2010. Web. 20 November 2011. (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/nj_parents_teens_protest_kyleighs_law.html ).

“MADD Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving”. Dec 2010. Web. 20 November 2011. (http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/campaign).

“MADD member arrested for DUI”. High Plains Broadcasting LLC 2011. Web. 20 November 2011.( http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/MADD-member-arrested- cspx).

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