New MADD Campaign Celebrates More than 300,000 Lives Saved; Americans Reminded to Drive Sober Over the 4th

To commemorate its silver anniversary, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is celebrating the more than 300,000 lives it has helped to save since its inception in 1980.

In honor of the milestone, MADD and long-time supporter State Farm are introducing a new public awareness campaign designed to further spread the message of MADD’s lifesaving work.

The national campaign, “Celebrating Lives Like Yours,” features a
poster with an awareness message, and a reflective, mirror-like
material, which helps drive home the message that one of the 300,000 lives saved over the past 25 years might be your own. MADD’s nearly 600 affiliates are working with local businesses to display the posters in communities nationwide.

“We’ll never know who they are, but there are dads, moms, siblings and grandparents alive today because MADD stood between them and a would-be drunk driver,” said Wendy Hamilton, national president, MADD. “While we will always remember and honor the lives killed and injured due to drunk driving, we must never forget to celebrate the lives saved as a result of MADD’s and other traffic safety groups’ work.”

As the Fourth of July approaches — one of the deadliest holidays for
alcohol-related traffic crashes — MADD is asking everyone to help keep the roadways safe by designating a sober driver before celebrations begin and to buckle up.

In 2003, 282 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes
during the July 4th holiday weekend, representing 54 percent of all traffic deaths for that period.

“The best way to celebrate Independence Day, or any holiday, is to make sure family and friends get home safely,” said Clayton Adams, vice president of Community Alliances, State Farm. “We are proud to support MADD during this special anniversary year and help them save even more lives by spreading the message to designate a sober driver.”