(The Center Square) – April marks Alcohol Awareness Month, dedicated to highlighting the dangers of alcohol misuse and its impact on lives and communities.
This year, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, MADD, is amplifying its message with a first-ever partnership with Uber to tackle DUI-related crashes in the commonwealth.
MADD cites NHTSA 2022 statistics showing that nearly 30% of all traffic fatalities in the state were caused by drunk driving. Beyond that number, they say the impact is far-reaching – 2 out of 3 people will be affected by impaired driving in their lifetime, underscoring the need for this critical campaign.
Their message is simple: “Instead of getting behind the wheel impaired, count on one of Uber’s seven million designated drivers to get home.”
“Uber is already helping prevent impaired driving,” said a press release provided to The Center Square. “Research shows that ride-sharing has reduced alcohol-related crashes by up to 5.27% nationwide. This initiative brings together decades of advocacy with a proven alternative to driving under the influence.”
As part of their commitment to ending impaired driving, MADD’s network partnership with Uber is matching donations up to $25,000 throughout April, doubling the impact of every contribution.
MADD National Ambassador Bob Nulman told The Center Square that when the police chief showed up at his door early on a Sunday morning in 1987, he thought nothing of it since, at the time, he was the mayor of Clinton, New Jersey.
Unfortunately, they were there to deliver the devastating news that Nulman’s 22-year-old son Dan was killed in a collision caused by an impaired driver.
Dan was a senior at Trenton State College, and a passenger in a vehicle with four friends, when a 20-year-old impaired driver, traveling the wrong way on I-95 in Bensalem, collided with them head-on. All were killed.
Wanting to do something positive in Dan’s memory, Nulman has been working with MADD since 1988.
“Six beautiful young lives were snuffed out in a moment,” he said. “He never started his career, never got married, never got to live out his life … he’s the picture in my wallet that stays 22.”
Nulman said their partners, such as law enforcement, companies like Uber, and even some alcoholic beverage companies, are crucial to their mission of promoting safe alternatives.
He expressed gratitude to Uber for its financial support in strengthening their efforts and for helping amplify their message through advertising and public service announcements.
MADD isn’t saying people should never drink, said Nulman.
“We hope people drink less and that they treat alcohol and other substances with some kind of respect,” he said. “But the main thing is that we get the word out for people to consider their alternatives, and Uber is a great one.”
Choosing safe options can prevent tragic consequences, but also legal ones. Impaired drivers risk prison time, or lifelong guilt and stigma for causing someone’s death.
The effect on an impaired driver’s wallet begins the moment they are stopped by the police. Costs in Pennsylvania associated with a DUI arrest can vary greatly depending on several factors, including blood alcohol content, location of arrest, and number of offenses.
Up until now, Nulman said they have been relying on behavioral changes – but they are hoping technology will soon intervene.
The HALT Act, signed into law in 2021, directed the federal government to require all new automobiles be equipped with passive technology that senses whether the driver is drunk and prevents them from starting the car.
Nulman said their research shows they could save 10,000 lives annually with this passive sensor mechanism.
“Imagine 10,000 families that won’t have to suffer what mine did, 10,000 court cases that don’t have to be brought…10,000 instances that could be avoided,” he said.
