Speaking of MADD...

[Frank Lee]

... an email I just got from them:

Dear Frank,

Can you take one minute to tell Congress to help develop technology with the potential to save 8,000 lives and prevent drunk driving?

Next week, the United States Senate will consider legislation which would provide critical research funding for the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, or DADSS. Please email your Senator here.

As you may know, DADSS holds the promise of turning the car into the cure for drunk driving by passively detecting is a driver is above the legal BAC limit. If so, the driver's car won’t start.

This legislation is a key piece of MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving and we urge you to email your Senator and ask them to support the Motor Vehicle Safety Act when it is considered on the Senate floor. Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

Laura Dean-Mooney
National President
Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Hmmm... what is this? OH- here is what it is:

Why are we here?
The Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have entered into a cooperative research agreement to explore the feasibility, the potential benefits of, and the public policy challenges associated with a more widespread use of in-vehicle technology to prevent alcohol-impaired driving.

Almost 9,000 road traffic deaths could be prevented every year if alcohol detection devices were used in all vehicles. Aftermarket ignition interlocks have been used successfully among convicted drunk drivers to significantly reduce the incidence of impaired driving. However, deployment of the current technology on a more widespread basis as a preventative measure is not likely to occur because drivers are required to provide a breath sample each and every time before starting the vehicle. To be acceptable for use among the general public, including those who do not drink and drive, alcohol detection technologies must be far less intrusive – they must not impede sober drivers from starting their vehicles. They would need to be capable of rapidly and accurately determining and measuring alcohol in the blood. They would also need to be small, reliable, durable, repeatable, maintenance free, and relatively inexpensive.

The technical challenges in meeting these goals are substantial, however, the potential benefits to society are compelling. It has been estimated that almost 9,000 road traffic deaths could be prevented every year if alcohol detection devices were used in all vehicles to prevent alcohol-impaired drivers from driving their vehicles. To achieve these goals, a step-by-step, data-driven process will be followed to ensure that effective technologies are developed. Technological solutions can be effective only if the driving public who use the technologies understand and accept them. Only when technology meets the exacting standards described above and is coupled with public acceptance, will consideration be given to applying it more widely.

It is an alcohol interlock system not just for convicted drunks... for EVERYONE.

[autoteach]

I think that it should be the shifter, and you have to insert at least 4 inches in your mouth while blowing on it in a bobbing motion, all while cupping the ash tray. All the MADD members can demonstrate it to the public before it is released. I am just saying...

[Frank Lee]

Dear Frank,

I just wanted to keep you in the loop on two of our top priorities: the fight to eliminate drunk driving and our efforts to serve victims of drunk driving.

It has been a good couple of weeks in federal anti-drunk driving legislation. Two weeks ago, the House Energy and Commerce committee passed an amendment that would fund research into advanced technology that would prevent cars from being driven drunk for five years. Yesterday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed that same amendment. You can see details here.

In that five years, DADSS, which is a cooperative venture between the automakers, researchers, and the federal government and supported by MADD, believes they will have multiple technologies that will be accurate, reliable, inexpensive, voluntary, passive (that is, we won’t even know the technology is there unless we shouldn’t be driving), and set at the illegal limit of .08 BAC. In short, this technology will eliminate drunk driving.

It looks like we could have this legislation passed by early July. We are also pushing for legislation that would require states to mandate ignition interlocks for all drunk driving offenders; please click here to email your senators about this bill.

For victim services, we have exciting news as well. We have our final tally from all 50 states and, in 2009, MADD served over 57,000 victims and survivors of drunk driving -- one every 10 minutes on average. While our goal is to make sure no victim goes without MADD's services like emotional support, court accompaniment, and other resources, this is a 109% increase from 2003.

All of these services are possible due to your support and the support of people like you. If you'd like to help, your $17 monthly donation can provide that vital first hour of services to someone impacted by drunk driving. Or, if you would like, you can also donate to your local office here.

Thank you for reading and for your support!

Yours,
Laura Dean-Mooney
MADD National President

Anyone wanna wager me that when every new vehicle in the U.S. has DADDY- whoops, that's DADSS- MADD will not dry up and blow away; no, there will be an alcohol related death somewhere, somehow, so naturally they'd then have to lobby congress for making retrofit of old cars mandatory... then when that's done and there's still a highway fatality, they'd go back to congress and lobby for a .01 BAC. Takers? Anyone?

Another thing I find odd is the deafening silence from MADD when the subject of distracted driving or cell phone use while driving comes up... yeah, I've visited their forums... many of them engage in that so I guess that's off the table...

Ya know what would be funnier than isht? Legislate that the next gen cell phones have alcohol interlocks to prevent DWI- Dialing While Intoxicated. MADD, are you listening???

OK... to be clear... I'm not promoting drunk driving. I'm saying, in my 50 years on the road, I can count the times I've seen, much less be threatened, by drunk drivers on one hand. It's that odds thing again...

Another thing I'm saying is: Say it's Friday night and I'm sitting around the house having some beers. A family member has a medical emergency, say, a heart attack. Being that I'm out in the middle of nowhere, the best choice for rapid access to medical assistance is to jump in the car and haul *** to the Emergency Room. Except... the car won't start! I can promise you, heads would roll...

[Frank Lee]

Dear Frank,

Please help me change a life this week.

This week is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, when we come together to honor both crime victims and those who advocate for them, guiding victims/survivors through times that no-one should have to face. Because drunk driving is the nation’s most frequently committed violent crime, MADD is a large part of this movement. We provide services to over 55,000 victims and survivors of drunk driving each year. But there are still hundreds of thousands who need our help.

Can you give $17 a month? Seventeen dollars provides the first hour of victim services to someone who’s been impacted by a drunk driving crash. In that first hour, lives change. In that moment, MADD can give a person someone to talk to, cry with, lean on.

I know. I’ve been there, both as a victim and a victim advocate. Here’s a story of one person's healing journey:



Please help me help the thousands of victims and survivors of drunk driving during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Together, we can help survivors survive.


Thank you,
Jan Withers
MADD National Board Member, Volunteer Victim Advocate, and Alisa's mom

I'm not much of a drinker myself, I can take it or leave it anymore, but let's face it, when we go play softball, we have a couple beers, and a couple is all it takes anymore to go over .08 BAC. Or, when I go to a Mexican restaurant, I like to have a Marg- would a big one put me over? Funny, I've driven home from softball and Mexican Village for many many years and I didn't know that was a violent crime.

[autoteach]

That is what the children are for, they blow in it for you. like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-GijPQHOms

[Frank Lee]

Dear Frank,

Yesterday, I testified on MADD’s behalf in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. We focused on two main things: the need for states to require interlocks for all drunk driving offenders and the future of advanced technology that will eliminate drunk driving. If you’d like, you can watch the video (I'm at the 47:20 mark) or read my written testimony here.

I have some good news. This week, Senator Mark Begich of Alaska signed on to co-sponsor the legislation that would get all states to require interlocks for all drunk driving offenders and three senators (Sen. Begich, Sen. Amy Klobucher of Minnesota, and Senator Barbara Boxer of California) signed on to support advanced technology development. Your emails are helping convince Congress that it is time to stop people from committing drunk driving offenses. If you think they need reminding, you can email them about the interlock bill here.

I also have some bad news. In the state of Maryland, a bill requiring interlocks for all drunk driving offenders passed the Senate unanimously. That’s right, not one single no vote. Unfortunately, when it got to their House, the committee chair, who is a drunk driving defense attorney, refused to let the bill to be voted on unless he watered it down. Here’s one take on the bill and its demise.

This is unfortunately common in state legislatures. We’ve found 12 states that have been willing to pass interlock legislation despite these barriers, but the rest are going to be a lot harder. That’s why we need this federal legislation – to strongly encourage state legislatures to do the right thing and to get past barriers like this committee chair. Together, we can demand the elimination of drunk driving. Can you email your legislators today?

Thanks for your help,
Laura Dean-Mooney
MADD National President

.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by autoteach

That is what the children are for, they blow in it for you. like this:

DADDY is other tech, like pupil monitoring, playing a lil video game and passing it before start is allowed, etc.

[mcrews]

"Being that I'm out in the middle of nowhere, the best choice for rapid access to medical assistance is to jump in the car and haul *** to the Emergency Room. Except... the car won't start! I can promise you, heads would roll... "

Frank lee, your killin me!!!!!!

1. you own more running cars that anybody I know.....except maybe Jay Leno.
2. Like you not gonna unhook whatever crap they've got wired in.
3 and finally, as old as the cars are that you dirve....if they install it in every 2012, it'll be 2025 before you have to worry......... I'm just sayin.......

[Frank Lee]

Frank,

You may remember a couple of weeks ago, I sent you an email about a Senate bill that would fund research into advanced technology that would eliminate drunk driving. Together, we've sent over 4,000 emails to senators about that important, bipartisan legislation (click here if you'd like to send an email to your senators).

I have good news.

Representatives Vernon Ehler (R-MI) and John Sarbanes (D-MD) have introduced a similar bill in the House. There's a story about it here. This means, in essence, the odds are now twice as good of it passing, since we have two shots to get support for this vital legislation.

Can you take two minutes to email your congressperson about your support of this bill?

We'd appreciate your voice and any support you can give. Together, we can eliminate drunk driving -- we really can.

Thank you for your help,
Laura Dean-Mooney
MADD National President

One can be certain that there aren't 4000+ constituents being heard from that would counterpoint this... where is the anti-MADD group?

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by mcrews

Frank lee, your killin me!!!!!!

1. you own more running cars that anybody I know.....except maybe Jay Leno.
2. Like you not gonna unhook whatever crap they've got wired in.
3 and finally, as old as the cars are that you dirve....if they install it in every 2012, it'll be 2025 before you have to worry......... I'm just sayin.......

Yeah, but the scenario turns me into an outlaw, and you KNOW I'm a 100% law-abiding citizen!

When all the new stuff has to have it, they could require retrofits in the space of a year if they wanted, by denying license tabs to those who don't provide proof of having it... just sayin'....