Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Traffic Safety Administration
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. MADD also supports drunk and drugged driving victims (Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD], 2000). The MADD organization is the result of the tragic death of Cari Lightner and was highly influenced by the suffering of young Laura Lamb which lead to her death as well. Throughout the years, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has expanded to every state in the United States and a couple other countries as well. MADD changed the public’s perception toward alcohol impaired driving with its many campaigns. Most of these campaigns have resulted in laws and funds that have benefited the victims of drunk drivers and help to deter people from driving drunk to begin with. MADD’s focus for the past few years has been the prevention of underage drinking.
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded as the result of the tragic death of 13-year-old Cari Lightner. In May of 1980, Cari was walking with a friend to a church carnival. As they walked along the road, a drunk driver swerved into the bike lane and hit Cari from behind. The force of the impact threw Cari 125 feet. The 47-year-old driver passed out, then drove away after regaining consciousness, leaving Cari lying in the road. It wasn’t until a few days later that her family found out that alcohol was involved in the accident. Candace Lightner, Cari’s mother, was shocked when she discovered that the man who took her daughter’s life had a history of drunk driving. He had just gotten out on bail for a hit and run drunk driving crash which was his fifth offense in four years. Candace’s shock turned to angry when she was told that the man would likely not be given in prison time. To have a child killed because of someone else’s negligence and to know that person wouldn’t be given the punishment deserved for the crime, was too much for Candace Lightner. Fueled by her anger for the
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded as the result of the tragic death of 13-year-old Cari Lightner. In May of 1980, Cari was walking with a friend to a church carnival. As they walked along the road, a drunk driver swerved into the bike lane and hit Cari from behind. The force of the impact threw Cari 125 feet. The 47-year-old driver passed out, then drove away after regaining consciousness, leaving Cari lying in the road. It wasn’t until a few days later that her family found out that alcohol was involved in the accident. Candace Lightner, Cari’s mother, was shocked when she discovered that the man who took her daughter’s life had a history of drunk driving. He had just gotten out on bail for a hit and run drunk driving crash which was his fifth offense in four years. Candace’s shock turned to angry when she was told that the man would likely not be given in prison time. To have a child killed because of someone else’s negligence and to know that person wouldn’t be given the punishment deserved for the crime, was too much for Candace Lightner. Fueled by her anger for the