During November and December, spirits are high, celebrations abound and travel increases on America's roadways. Unfortunately, drunk driving is usually on the rise as well. That's why MADD conducts Tie One On For Safety, our popular public awareness campaign, each year during the winter holiday season.
Tie One On For Safety asks Americans to place a MADD ribbon or window decal on their vehicles as a pledge to drive safe, sober and buckled up during the holidays and throughout the year. Our message includes safety belts because they're the best defense against a drunk driver. Activities to support the campaign are organized by a majority of MADD's 400 offices across the country. Together, we distribute more than 6 million ribbons and ribbon symbols each year.
Statistics and Implications
Tie One On For Safety runs Thanksgiving through New Year's Day - the period when road travel increases and the threat of drunk driving is most prevalent.
- Each year, nationally, more than 1,000 people typically die between Thanksgiving through New Year's in drunk driving crashes, and more than 2,000 are killed in drunk driving crashes and/or crashes where safety belts were not used.
- In 2007, 12,998 people were killed in crashes involving a driver with BAC of .08 or greater. (NHTSA 2008)
- Alcohol-related crashes cost the American public an estimated $114.3 billion and people other than the drunk driver paid $71.6 billion of that amount. (Taylor, Miller and Cox 2002)
- More drunk driving facts and statistics
Tie One On For Safety Goals
- Recruit the public to tie a MADD red ribbon to their vehicles or display a window decal as a pledge to drive safe, sober and buckled up and to support MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.
- Increase awareness about drunk driving during the holiday season
- Offer suggestions to deter drunk driving through MADD's safe party tips and the promotion of designate a sober driver programs.
- Increase MADD's identity with the MADD ribbon and its symbolic meaning to prevent drunk driving
and help save lives.
History
MADD created Tie One On For Safety - originally named the 'Project Red Ribbon' campaign - in 1986 to help heighten public awareness about drinking and driving during the holiday season. The program was designed to encourage the public to take action against drunk driving by tying a MADD ribbon to their vehicle's antenna or side mirror. Previous national campaign chairpersons have included Connie Sellecca, Joan Lunden, Naomi Judd and Kelly Ripa. These celebrities supported the campaign by appearing at national events or other media appearances and through pubic service ads.
Today, MADD has incorporated Tie One On For Safety into its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which calls for The Campaign calls for:
- Intensive, high-visibility law enforcement efforts, including sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols
- Alcohol ignition interlocks installed on the vehicles of all convicted drunk drivers
- Research of transparent, vehicle-based technologies that will prevent people from driving drunk
- Grassroots support of all of these efforts
Play it safe,
Amber :)
