FAQ

How does MADD fight drunk driving -- what exactly do you do?
How many chapters are there?
Underage drinking continues to be a problem. How does MADD plan to combat this?
What are MADD's goals for the future?
Impaired Driving in Texas
Impaired Driving by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Costs per Alcohol-Related Injury
The estimated cost per injured survivor of an alcohol-related crash averaged 96,000
Costs per Mile Driven
Costs per Drink
Impact on Auto Insurance Rates
Prevention Savings of Impaired Driving Measures
Potential Savings from Further Prevention Efforts
Interventions Targeting Repeat Offenders
Prevention Savings of Occupant Protection Measures
Economic Costs

How does MADD fight drunk driving -- what exactly do you do?

MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. Our volunteers and staff work every day providing assistance to victims, getting tougher legislation passed, offering prevention programs, and raising public awareness through community programs and working with the media.

How many chapters are there?
MADD has more than 400 chapters in 47 states. In addition, there are community action teams in many other areas. In California, there are 18 chapters serving 22 counties and the California State Office provides service to the remaining 36 counties.

Underage drinking continues to be a problem. How does MADD plan to combat this?
MADD has defined goals and developed various programs specifically designed to address youth issues. One of our goals is to make the legal blood alcohol limit zero -- or .00 -- since it's already illegal for those under 21 to purchase or possess alcohol. It only makes sense that if minors are found with any measurable amount of alcohol in their blood that they be penalized by measures such as revoking their driver's licenses. MADD is also working to educate youth about underage drinking and the dangers of drunk driving.

What are MADD's goals for the future?
We've adopted a plan, 11,000 by 2005, to reduce alcohol-related traffic fatalities to 11,000 or fewer per year by the year 2005. The plan involves youth issues, enforcement, sanctions, self-sufficiency programs and responsible marketing of alcohol. Some of the things in this plan include more widespread use of sobriety checkpoints, lowering the legal blood alcohol content limit to .08 nationwide, passing Administrative License Revocation in those states that don't already have the laws, and adopting .00 as the legal BAC limit for youth. MADD chapters in each state are using the plan as a blueprint and will determine specific legislative goals for their state. MADD is also working toward a 5-Point Plan to enhance the rights of victims. These include constitutional amendments for victim rights, cleaning up bankruptcy laws, improving compensation and dram shop laws in every state, and seeing that driving drunk with a child in the vehicle is a form of child abuse. Dram ship liability is defined as "a term of art referring to the potential legal liability of servers of alcoholic beverages for the injuries caused by their intoxicated and under-aged patrons." (Western State Law Review, 1985)


IMPAIRED DRIVING IN TEXAS
Incidence of Impaired Driving
For one of every 150 miles driven in Texas in 1999, a person with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) .08 sat behind the wheel. Police in Texas reported 24,865 crashes involving a driver or pedestrian with a BAC of .01 or more. Formulas developed by NHTSA were used to estimate the number of alcohol-related crashes where alcohol involvement was not reported by the police. An estimated total of 170,190 crashes in Texas involved alcohol which killed 1,751 and injured an estimated 63,500 people.

Impaired Driving by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
In 1999, Texas drivers with:
•BACs of .10 and above were involved in an estimated 161,900 crashes that killed 1,345 and injured 55,600
•BACs between .08-.09 were involved in an estimated 2,790 crashes that killed 118 and injured 2,500
•Positive BACs below .08 were involved in an estimated 5,500 crashes that killed 288 and injured 5,400
Costs
Alcohol is a factor in 25% of Texas’ crash costs. Alcohol-related crashes in Texas cost the public an estimated $10.3 billion in 1999, including $4.5 billion in monetary costs and almost $5.8 billion in quality of life losses. (For definitions of the cost categories, see the definitions fact sheet.) Alcohol-related crashes are deadlier and more serious than other crashes. People other than the drinking driver paid $6.3 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill.

Costs per Alcohol-Related Injury
The average alcohol-related fatality in Texas costs $3.3 million:
•$1.1 million in monetary costs
•$2.2 million in quality of life losses

The estimated cost per injured survivor of an alcohol-related crash averaged 96,000:
•$48,000 in monetary costs
•$48,000 in quality of life losses

Costs per Mile Driven
Crash costs in Texas averaged:
•$6.20 per mile driven at BACs of .10 and above
•$2.70 per mile driven at BACs between .08-.09
•$0.10 per mile driven at BACs of .00

Costs per Drink
The societal costs of alcohol-related crashes in Texas averaged $1.10 per drink consumed. People other than the drinking driver paid $.70 per drink.

Impact on Auto Insurance Rates
Alcohol-related crashes accounted for an estimated 16% of Texas’ auto insurance payments. Reducing alcohol-related crashes by 10% would save $193 million in claims payments and loss adjustment expenses.

Prevention Savings of Impaired Driving Measures
Texas already has many important impaired driving laws. They are saving money and lives. The estimates that follow describe the expected costs and savings, given Texas’ prices and impaired driving rates. The estimates assume Texas’ laws achieve average U.S. effectiveness levels.
Administrative License Revocation: Laws that allow police or driver licensing authorities to revoke a driver’s license swiftly and automatically for refusing or failing a BAC test have reduced alcohol-related fatalities by 6.5% on average could save an estimated $49,000 per driver sanctioned. The value of the driver’s lost mobility would be the large majority of the estimated $2,400 cost per driver sanctioned. Reinstatement fees assessed to offenders typically cover start-up and operating costs.

Zero Tolerance Law: Laws like Texas’ that make it illegal for persons under 21 to drive with a positive BAC have reduced impaired-driving fatalities by 4% on average. Per licensed youth driver, this law cost approximately $30 and yields net savings of $700. Medical care cost savings alone exceed the intervention cost. The primary cost is the value of mobility lost by youth who are forced to reduce their drinking or driving.

.08 BAC Law: A well-publicized State law lowering driver BAC limits to .08 can potentially reduce alcohol-related fatalities by an average of 7%. On average, Texas’ .08 law saves an estimated $37 per licensed driver. The value of mobility losses and alcohol sales reductions resulting from the law are the large majority of the estimated $2.60 cost per licensed driver.

Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA): To reduce alcohol-related fatal crashes among youth, Texas has adopted a MLDA of 21. It saves an estimated $500 per youthful driver. The loss of liquor sales is the large majority of the $150 cost per youthful driver.

Graduated Licensing: Graduated licensing is a three-stage program that involves a learner’s permit, intermediate (provisional) license, and full licensure. To advance between stages, young drivers are required to demonstrate responsible driving behavior. Graduated licensing with a midnight curfew could reduce youth fatalities by at least 5% and total alcohol-related fatalities by 2%. Savings amount to an estimated $500 per youthful driver in Texas. The value of the mobility lost by youth is the large majority of the estimated $60 cost per youthful driver.

Potential Savings from Further Prevention Efforts
A number of additional strategies can mitigate the harm from impaired driving. The following paragraphs estimate the potential savings, in Texas’ prices, if other proven impaired driving prevention measures were widely implemented in Texas.

Intensive Sobriety Checkpoint Program: Intensive enforcement of Texas State BAC limits with highly visible sobriety checkpoints would reduce alcohol-related fatalities by at least 15% and save approximately $56,700 per checkpoint. Including police resources, costs of travel delay and the value of mobility losses by impaired drivers apprehended and sanctioned, the costs of conducting a checkpoint would average about $8,000.

Enforcing Serving Intoxicated Patrons Law: Using undercover police officers to enforce the State law against serving alcohol to intoxicated bar and restaurant patrons would reduce alcohol-related crash fatalities by an estimated 11%. It would cost an estimated $0.30 per licensed driver and save about $20 per licensed driver.

Server Training: Server training programs provide education and training to servers of alcoholic beverages with the goal of altering their serving practices to prevent patron intoxication and alcohol-impaired driving. Generally, 40% to 60% of intoxicated patrons drive after consuming alcohol in bars, clubs or restaurants. A statewide, full-day, mandatory, face-to-face server training program with active management support has the potential to reduce nighttime DUI injury crashes by 17%. Implementing such a program costs an estimated $60 per licensed driver and saves about $200 in crash costs per licensed driver.

Interventions Targeting Repeat Offenders
Not many repeat offenders are deterred by broad impaired driving laws. Four alternative sanctioning approaches have proven especially effective at reducing repeat offenses.

Automobile Impoundment: Impounding vehicles after conviction for DUI or driving while suspended can decrease recidivism by an estimated 38% and DUI crashes by about 4%. Overall, per vehicle impounded, enforcement of this law would cost Texas approximately $700 and save on average $3,700.

Ignition Interlock: Breath testing ignition interlocks are designed to prevent anyone with a positive BAC from starting or driving a car. Attaching an interlock to a car for a year after its operator is convicted of driving while intoxicated would reduce recidivism by an estimated 75% and alcohol-related fatalities by 7%. It would save almost $7,200 per vehicle equipped. Including equipment and case management costs, interlock costs would total approximately $870 per vehicle.

Electronically Monitored House Arrest: Electronic monitoring is an alternative to incarcerating repeat offenders. It provides assurance of an offender’s presence within an assigned area. Monitoring programs attach a device to the wrist or ankle that relays a continuous signal to a computer and also may require offenders to relay a breath test when prompted by a random phone call. Implementation of this program could decrease recidivism by an estimated 31%, causing DUI crashes to decrease by about 3% in Texas. Per person arrested, the program would cost nearly $1,300 and could avoid an estimated $4,700 in crash costs and almost $1,630 in incarceration costs.

Intensive Probation Supervision with Treatment: Intensive probation supervision with treatment is an alternative to incarcerating repeat offenders. This early intervention program seeks to reduce alcohol-impaired driving by addressing repeat offenders’ drinking habits and provides intensive individual counseling and monitoring. Implementation of this program in Texas could decrease recidivism by an estimated 48%, causing DUI crashes to decrease by 4%. Typically, per person arrested, this program costs approximately $1,100 and can avoid an estimated $5,300 in crash costs and $460 in incarceration costs.

Prevention Savings of Occupant Protection Measures
Along with impaired driving interventions, a number of important occupant protection strategies reduce impaired driving and other highway injuries.

Primary Safety Belt Law: Texas’ primary safety belt law allows law enforcement to stop and ticket a driver for nonuse of a safety belt without requiring the driver to be cited for or have committed another offense. Unbelted occupants account for 66% of impaired driving fatalities in Texas. Savings amount to an estimated $4,200 per new belt user. If enforced with frequent belt-use checkpoints, the value of temporary discomfort experienced by some new belt wearers and travel delay costs at checkpoints are the large majority of the law’s estimated $260 cost per new belt user.

Child Safety Seat Law: Infants and children who are seated in places other than the back seat account for nearly 41% of child fatalities in Texas, and those seated in the back seat without proper restraints account for an additional 38% of child fatalities. Drinking drivers are more likely than other drivers to transport children improperly. Traveling in a child safety seat reduces the chance of a crash death by an estimated 71% for infants and 54% for children aged 14. Child safety seat laws like Texas’ typically reduce occupant fatalities of children age 4 and under by approximately 15% and their alcohol-involved deaths by a similar amount. The average child seat costs approximately $45 but avoids nearly $1,500 in injury costs.

Motorcycle Helmet Use Law: Statewide, 5% of alcohol-related crash fatalities are motorcyclists; 62% of these motorcyclists were unhelmeted. TA motorcycle helmet law that covers all riders in Texas could save lives and prevent devastating and debilitating head injuries. Wearing a motorcycle helmet reduces a rider’s risk of death by 29% and nonfatal injury risk by 15%. On average, helmets cost about $200 in Texas and prevent nearly $3,300 in injury costs.

The estimates reported here were produced under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Contract DTNH22-98-D-35079, Task Order 7.
Contact Information:
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)
11710 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300
Calverton, Maryland 20705-3102
301-755-2700

Economic Costs

Did you know...

• Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost the public an estimated $114.3 billion in 2000, including $51.1 billion in monetary costs and an estimated $63.2 billion in quality of life losses. People other than the drinking driver paid $71.6 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)

• In 2000, alcohol-related crashes accounted for an estimated 18% of the $103 billion in U.S. auto insurance payments. Reducing alcohol-related crashes by 10% would save $1.8 billion in claims payments and loss adjustment expenses. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)

• Crash costs in the United States averaged $5.80 per mile driven at BACs of .10 and above $2.50 per mile driven at BACs between .08-.09 and $0.10 per mile driven at BACs of .00 in 1998. (Miller et al, PIRE, 1999)

• In 2000, the average alcohol-related fatality in the United States costs $3.5 million. The estimated cost per injured survivor was $99,000. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)

• In 2000, the societal costs of alcohol-related crashes in the United States averaged $1.00 per drink consumed. People other than the drinking driver paid $0.60 per drink. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)

• Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost the public an estimated $114.3 billion in 2000, including $51.1 billion in monetary costs and an estimated $63.2 billion in quality of life losses. People other than the drinking driver paid $71.6 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill, which is 63 percent of the total cost of crashes. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)

• The total cost attributable to the consequences of underage drinking was more than $53 billion per year in 1998 dollars. (Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1999)