AAA and MADD Renew Push to Combat Impaired Driving Ahead of New Year’s Eve

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Thousands of people lose their lives every year to impaired driving, a preventable crisis that has prompted a renewed safety push from AAA and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). 

With New Year's Eve right around the corner, Public Relations Director for AAA Idaho Matthew Conde announced a partnership with MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to increase public awareness and reduce fatalities on the roads. 

Conde emphasized that while 93% of Americans acknowledge that driving while impaired is  dangerous, 7% admitted to having done so in the past 30 days, revealing a gap between public understanding and personal action.

“In this age of technology, we're asking people, please, use the ride hailing app so you can get a ride from somewhere.” said Conde “If you're hosting a party, please make sure you have a plan for everybody to either get safely home or have a place to stay overnight. The last thing we want to do is to have a situation where someone feels they have to get behind the wheel for any reason, when they might be impaired.”

This renewed focus comes as Idaho itself continues to see significant impact from impaired driving; in the last year alone, the state recorded 1,700 impaired driving crashes and 86 deaths, figures Conde called a tragedy happening in every community. He praised MADD volunteers as powerful storytellers, stemming from the stories being told by people who have been personally affected.

“If you are hosting those parties, you might start with alcohol, and then you might work your way down towards sodas and lots of snacks and things at the end of the party, so that you're kind of helping people kind of wind it down so that if they do hit the road, they are sober and able to go home safely.” said Conde. 

The average drunk driver operates a vehicle under the influence 80 times before being apprehended for their first DUI, the issue often stems from a deeper, difficult relationship with alcohol for some individuals. 

MADD and AAA stress the importance of improved technology for detecting alcohol on a person before they can start their vehicle. Until then they will continue to spread awareness until drunk driving accidents become only a memory.