The Campaign, which was kicked off in November 2006 by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, has four essential elements: mandatory vehicle ignition locks for all convicted drunk drivers (requiring the driver to pass a breathalyzer before the vehicle will start), advanced vehicle technology (making the start of staring the vehicle impossible for a person who is drunk), increased law enforcement efforts (especially during the holidays) and public support led by concerned citizens throughout the country.

"I think the best example (of our relationship with the media) is the Campaign, which is our main focus at this point," Misty Moyse, director of media relations at the MADD national chapter office in Irving, Texas, said.  "It's the information we put out to the media, such as our successes like what the campaign can achieve when it comes to eliminating (drunk driving). "

Moyse attributes the organization's name recognition to the media. "Pretty much everyone knows our name, 95 percent plus do, which is unprecedented when it comes to organizations like ours," Moyse said.

But ultimately, it's the misconceptions that people get from the media that create a lot of attention at the organization. "A lot of what we do with the media, in many cases, is correcting misconception, "Moyse said.  "People will call in and say, 'Doesn't MADD believe this or that?' (People) make their own assumptions about the issues and what they take a stand on. A lot of what of we do is correcting those misconceptions and getting our message out."  Such misconceptions include believing this organization is only for mothers or that the group is anti-alcohol use.  

In 2006, according to the MADD Web site, an estimated 15,827 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes, which is an average of one person every 33 minutes.

MADD offers services to affect those individuals and their families who have been affected by a drunk driving accident.  With more than 1,400 advocates across the nation, the organization offers services such as emotional support, literature on victim issues, resources to help with the medical, financial and legal consequences, and information for how to better understand the justice systems that may be involved in the crash.

Juliet Smith, administrative assistant for MADD S.C., cited the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data when saying, "71 people are killed each day in alcohol related crashes and 500 people are killed each week.

Smith continued, "The South Carolina Department of Public Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released statistics for South Carolina in 2007.  These statistics show 41 percent (438) of the 1,077 traffic fatalities were DUI related."

By ages 19 and 20, 70 percent of all drinkers engage in heavy drinking.  These individuals contribute to the more than 1.4 million drivers who were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence, according to the MADD Web site.  This arrest rate is 1 person for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States, according to the MADD Web site.

Universities across the country have established chapters of MADD on their campus. Known as UMADD, these organizations work closely to with the parent organization to promote the same goals.  Primarily, UMADD is working to provide "resources and assistance to campus and community law enforcement, community members, faculty and staff and parents," according to the Web site. 

Locally, the University of South Carolina has responded to this effort by establishing the Alcohol and Drug Program.  The program, according to the USC Law Enforcement and Safety Web site, is to "actively promote low-risk, healthy choices about the use of alcohol, other drugs, and associated behaviors by providing preventive and educational services as well as substance-free events for USC students."

This program offers education services to  "teach basic knowledge about the effects of alcohol and drugs, discuss associated high-risk behaviors, and provide prevention, intervention, treatment, and harm reduction," according to the USC Law Enforcement and Safety web site.

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers was created in 1980 "to aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to aid the families of such victims and to increase public awareness of the problem of drinking and drugged driving," according to the organization's Web site.  Four years later, the organization changed its name to Mothers Against Drunk Driving because the organization is against the act of driving drunk, not the individuals who do so.  Today, the mission of the organization is to "stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking," according to the Web site.

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