MADD News

Increased Drunken Driving Penalties Begin on Jan. 1 in Wisconsin

Repeat drunken drivers will face more time behind bars in Wisconsin starting New Year’s Day under a law the state Legislature passed overwhelmingly nearly a year ago. The new law doesn’t make the first offense a criminal violation, leaving Wisconsin …

MADD Executive to Serve as Rhode Island Highway Safety Chief

The executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Rhode Island will soon become the state’s new highway safety chief. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation says Gabrielle Abbate will take over the new duties as the RIDOT’s chief of …

MADD Gives Wisconsin Failing Grade in OWI Efforts

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is giving Wisconsin a failing grade, saying the state doesn’t do enough to deter people from driving drunk or to clamp down on people with repeated offenses. The anti-drinking group gave Wisconsin a 2-out-of-5 score in …

Connecticut Woman Warns About DUI After Family Killed

Melanie Bassi’s mother promised to wake her up from a nap with a phone call on Christmas Day six years ago, but instead, she received a message from police in her Connecticut hometown. A neighbor was concerned about a large …

Georgia MADD Gets Highway Safety Grant

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is getting a grant from the governor’s office to promote highway safety in Georgia. The $126,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is for prevention and education programs. It’s also to help fund support …

MADD Wants Michigan’s BAC Law to Stay at .08

Michigan’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving is calling on lawmakers to prevent a scheduled rise in the state’s legal blood alcohol content driving threshold. The organization is expected to testify in front of the House Criminal Justice Committee Wednesday. MADD will …

Illinois Gets Highest Rating from MADD

Mothers Against Drunk Driving has given Illinois its highest rating for the state’s efforts to combat impaired driving. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says he’s glad the organization has recognized Illinois “as a national leader in the fight against …