MADD Mid-Atlantic November 2022 Newsletter

Impaired Driving Crashes in the News

9/1/22 Car Plows into Patrol Car, Stafford Man Charged with DUI

9/11/22 Fairfax Detective Charged with DUI

9/16/22 Fairfax Principal Charged with DUI/Hit and Run

9/22/22 Boom Truck Strikes Power Lines, Driver Charged with DUI

9/26/22 Berthe Ngundji, 52, Jacques Ngundji, 60, Spotsylvania

9/27/22 Dylan McCurdy, 22, Louisa

10/6/22 Three Dead After Crashes in Tysons and Ft Belvoir

10/7/22 Joseph Dotson, 31, Henrico

10/6/22 Lori Byars, 51 and David Turch, 59, Fairfax County

10/11/22 Jose Zelayandia, 35, Fairfax

Thanksgiving Holiday Safety Marketing

Millions will hit our nation's roads this Thanksgiving weekend, eager to spend time with family and friends. It’s one of the busiest travel times of the year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Unfortunately, more people on the roadways means the potential for more vehicle crashes.

Buzzed driving is especially prevalent over Thanksgiving due in part to cultural phenomena like “Blackout Wednesday” (also known as "Drinksgiving"), which highlights and even encourages the heavy consumption of alcohol and drugs throughout this holiday weekend. Impaired-driving-related crashes spike during the Thanksgiving holiday season.

Can you help us spread the word to drive safely over the holiday weekend? This means no speeding, buckling up, and absolutely NO drinking and driving.

Use social media tools from NHTSA to help spread the message on your social media pages.

Thanksgiving Weekend Traffic Safety

Blackout Wednesday

Tie One On For Safety

MADD is launching the annual Tie One On for Safety® red ribbon holiday campaign, asking drivers to display a red ribbon on their vehicles as a reminder to plan ahead and designate a non-drinking driver before celebrations begin.

We are concerned about the increase in traffic deaths over the past three years. Preliminary traffic fatality data estimates more than 20,000 people were killed on America’s roads in the first half of 2022, a 16-year high largely due to impaired driving, speeding, and unbuckled occupants. Drunk driving accounts for about one-third of all traffic deaths, and at this rate, the number of drunk driving deaths could exceed 12,000 for the first time in over a decade.

The holidays are one of the most dangerous times on our nation’s roadways, with more people traveling, an increased number of festivities where alcohol is served, and a surge in drunk driving.

You can help eliminate drinking and driving this holiday season by making safe choices. The safest choice is to never drink and drive, and to designate a non-drinking driver if your plans include alcohol or other impairing drugs. You can also plan to use a rideshare app, or sleepover at your destination if it’s not a public place.

If you see someone trying to drive while impaired by alcohol or other drugs, here are some ideas to step in and help:

Be as non-confrontational as possible
Suggest alternate ways of getting to their destination — Uber or Lyft, a taxi, a friend, or a family member who is alcohol-free or public transportation
Remember that the person you are talking to is impaired — talk a bit slower and explain things a bit more than if you were speaking to a sober person
Explain that you don’t want them to drive because to you they are precious cargo, and you don’t want them to hurt themselves or others
Suggest that they stay the night with you or at the party location
Enlist a friend to help you or to act as moral support — it’s more difficult to say “no” to two (or three or four) people than one
If possible, get the person’s keys. It is far easier to persuade the potential driver when you hold this leverage
If all else fails, call law enforcement with the vehicle’s details. While it may be a difficult decision, ultimately, it’s better to have someone arrested than injured or killed or injuring or killing someone else

Your actions can save lives. Please remember that this holiday season! To identify yourself as a designated driver feel free to stop by Richmond Ford for your red ribbon starting 11/17/2022.

Drunk Driving Prevention Technology

Mike Goodove has been a MADD Board Member for thirty years.

Recently, he was highlighted by WTVR for his push for drunk driving prevention technology in all new cars.