MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving - What You Need to Know
If you happen to be passing through Mississauga on the QEW in the near future, you can stop and pay your respects to two victims of drunk driving at the latest roadside memorial erected by MADD Canada. The new memorial, located at the carpool lot at the intersection of the QEW and North Sheridan Way, honours the lives of Carly Charlebois and Rama Pirakala, who were killed by an impaired driver in June 2022. The MADD roadside memorials have been popping up on provincial highways across the country for the past two decades. With impaired drivers continuing to kill over 1,000 Canadians annually, there's little doubt that MADD Canada will continue to erect the drunk-driving victim tributes.
“These memorials are a great means of educating the public about the consequences of impaired driving," says TorontoDUI co-founding partner Jeff Mass . “Each memorial marks the lost lives and shattered families caused because a driver failed to heed the mantra of “don't drink and drive."
Jeff's co-founding TorontoDUI partner, Robbie Tsang , adds, “MADD Canada has been instrumental in educating the public about the dangers of drunk driving, strengthening impaired driving laws, and encouraging more stringent enforcement of them. Before MADD Canada became established nationwide, I believe that impaired drivers were killing about 2,500 Canadians per year. Today, that grim statistic has dropped to around 1,000, in large part due to the efforts of MADD Canada."
So, what is MADD Canada and what, exactly, does the organization do? Let's take a closer look.
MADD at a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Candace Lightner |
| Original Location | California, USA |
| Primary Mission | End drunk driving, fight drugged driving, support victims, and prevent underage drinking |
| MADD Canada Established | 1990 |
| Canadian Structure | Independent registered charitable organization |
| Core Focus | Public education, victim support, legislative advocacy, and impaired driving prevention |
What is MADD?
Established as a non-profit organization in California in 1980, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is on a mission to “end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking." The group was founded by Fair Oaks, California mother, Candace Lightner after her 13-year-old daughter was struck and killed by a repeat drunk driver with four previous DUI arrests. Enlisting the support of other grieving mothers, the nascent organization pushed California legislators to strengthen impaired-driving laws and boost DUI enforcement. Within six months of its founding, MADD held its first national press conference in Washington, DC, with plans to go national. Within a few years, MADD had successfully pushed the U.S. Congress to pass bills to incentivize state reductions of blood alcohol concentrations in their DUI laws, and to withhold funding from states that refused to raise their minimum drinking ages to 21. Before this legislation passed, most states' drinking ages were 18, with younger drivers making up a disproportionate percentage of drunk driving fatalities.
MADD has since continued to advocate for stricter impaired driving laws and enforcement, with frequent successes, such as helping get states to further reduce their DUI BAC levels. It also operates extensive prevention and public education programs, provides victim support services, and mounts numerous other national, state, and regional initiatives designed to curb impaired driving. The organization believes that its efforts have helped save hundreds of thousands of lives and supported more than 900,000 families victimized by drunk drivers.
MADD HISTORY TIMELINE
1980
MADD Founded in California Following the Death of Candace Lightner's Daughter
1980s
National Expansion Across the United States
1990
MADD Canada Established Through Merger of Provincial Anti-Impaired Driving Groups
2018
MADD Canada Helps Influence Bill C-46 DUI Reforms
Today
100+ Chapters Across Canada Supporting Victims and Promoting Road Safety
Is MADD Canada Part of MADD?
Established in 1990 as a registered Canadian charitable organization by the merger of several provincial anti-impaired driving groups, MADD Canada has proven equally as successful in its initiatives as its counterpart in the U.S. While MADD Canada holds a charter from MADD, it operates independently and is separately governed, making all organizational and advocacy decisions within Canada.
With its mission statement “to stop impaired driving and to support victims of this violent crime," the organization proved instrumental on the legislative level in influencing 2018 revisions to federal DUI laws that were enacted in Bill C-46 . The revised laws established cannabis levels for impaired driving, authorized mandatory roadside alcohol impairment screening, and strengthened DUI penalties, among other things.
What Are Madd Canada's Current Campaigns and Initiatives?
MADD Canada continues to work at the federal and provincial legislative level to strengthen DUI laws and enforcement. The organization's recently released Top Ten Report details its latest recommendations for the federal government to take actions to deter impaired driving, reduce repeat offenders, and support victims and survivors. Some of the recommendations include:
- Legislation requiring all new vehicles to be equipped with anti-impaired driving technology.
- Enact a federal summary conviction .05% blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) offence.
- Require Crown prosecutors to take reasonable steps to inform victims and survivors of impaired drivers of any joint plea or sentencing agreement before accepting it.
- Establish a system for the timely, accurate and comprehensive collection and publishing of alcohol and drug-related transportation deaths and injuries in Canada, as well as the disposition data of all federal impaired driving criminal cases.
Madd Canada's Victim Services is considered “the heart" of the organization's initiatives. These services advocate for victims' rights with federal and provincial governments, help victims navigate the legal system, and provide a bursary fund to support survivors' post-secondary education needs.
The organization's extensive impaired driving Awareness Campaigns are designed to boost the Canadian public's familiarity with MADD Canada's efforts by “putting a human face on the problem of impaired driving." Their three primary national awareness campaign initiatives include:
- Project Red Ribbon - one of their longest-running campaigns distributes red ribbons during the Christmas/New Year's holiday season to honour victims and encourage safe and sober driving.
- The national Campaign 911 , also known as RID - "Report Impaired Drivers" by calling “911."
- Public awareness promotion through impactful Television and Radio Ads, Posters .
With more than 100 MADD Canada chapters across the country, the organization successfully manages dozens of other campaigns and public outreach initiatives at the provincial and local levels. If you'd like to see what MADD Toronto is currently working on, click here .
MADD Canada's Current Priorities
| Priority Area | Objective |
|---|---|
| Impaired Driving Prevention Technology | Reduce impaired driving before a vehicle can be operated |
| Stronger Federal Legislation | Create additional deterrents and close enforcement gaps |
| Victim Rights Advocacy | Improve victim participation throughout the criminal justice process |
| Data Collection & Reporting | Improve national understanding of impaired driving trends |
National Awareness Campaigns
| Campaign | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Project Red Ribbon | Encourage sober driving during the holiday season |
| Campaign 911 (RID) | Encourage the public to report suspected impaired drivers |
| Public Awareness Advertising | Educate Canadians about the human consequences of impaired driving |
Consult with TorontoDUI for Expert Impaired Driving Defence
The criminal defence lawyers of TorontoDUI strongly urge you to heed MADD Canada's messaging by not getting behind the wheel if you've been drinking or consuming drugs. Most importantly, you do not want to be responsible for someone's senseless death or injuries because of your flagrant disregard for public safety. Naturally, you also don't want to get arrested for impaired driving. If you do face criminal charges because you failed to heed MADD's messaging, you are still entitled to a criminal defence. In the Greater Toronto Area, you can turn to our team's legal expertise at TorontoDUI. For a free consultation, contact us today.
