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NFL Recruits MADD to Focus on Drunk Driving

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) began partnering with the National Football League (NFL) back in 2010 to help to curb drunk driving. Through game day initiatives, player and employee programs and awareness and community relations programs, officials are practicing efforts to combat this problem. But there is still more that needs to be done.

Each and every year, officials with the NFL and with MADD remind fans to play the most important position of the season — the designated driver. With this, they’re working to promote designated drivers through MADD-branded booths at games and sports facilities to remind fans about the importance of safe drinking habits.

Our Quincy drunk driving accident attorneys understand that officials with MADD and the NFL have been able to prevent more than 4,500 fatalities each year cause by teen alcohol use. Officials ask teen’s to check out MADD’s Power of You(th)® Facebook page and take the pledge to not drink before age 21 and also to never ride in a car with someone who has been drinking.

The NFL endorses MADD’S “Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving,” which includes:

-Supporting more high-visibility activities to bust drunk drivers and to deter others who may wind up drinking and driving.

-Require more offenders to undergo ignition interlock devices (IIDs). This will make sure that drivers prove they’re sober before the car is turned on. This is going to help to cut down on repeat offenders, which account for a large percent of the drunk driving accidents recorded in the U.S. each year.

But it’s not just about getting to and from the games safe and sober, it’s also about celebrating safely at your local sports pub or over at your buddy’s house. At these places too, you’re also going to want to make sure you’ve got a designated driver or another safe and sober way to get home. Make sure that the designated drivers of the gathering are provided with plenty to drink (non-alcoholic, of course). These are the individuals that are helping to save your life, make sure they’re well fed and have an excellent view of the television. It’s a small token of appreciation for their live-saving efforts.

“MADD is confident that through our Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, we’ll be able to put an end to the devastation experienced by the hundreds of thousands of new victims and survivors who are killed and injured in drunk driving crashes each year,” Withers said.

In 2011, there were close to 150 people killed in alcohol-related car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is a number that could be drastically lowered if all football fans were to celebrate safe and sober cheering. Make sure that you’ve got a designated driver before kickoff. Make it a pre-game ritual.

If you or a loved one was involved in a drunk driving accident in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.

More Blog Entries:

Boston Drunk Driver Busted for Third Offense, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, August 26, 2013

Massachusetts Lawmakers Fight Lower BAC Limits, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, August 18, 2013

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