Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to Honor Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer with Legislative Hero Award

MADD is recognizing U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader, with its “Legislative Hero” award for his commitment to saving lives by advancing automotive safety technology on Friday, May 20, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. The award will be presented at West Hills County Park by MADD volunteer and Long Island, New York resident Alisa McMorris, whose 12-year-old son Andrew was killed by a drunk driver in 2018, and MADD volunteer Sheila Lockwood, whose 23-year-old son Austin was killed by a drunk driver in 2018.

WHEN: Friday, May 20, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET 

WHERE: West Hills County Park: Sweet Hollow Road, West Hills, NY 11747

WHO: The following people will be in attendance:

●      U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader

●      Shawn Hirst, Regional Executive Director NY|NJ|PA at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

●      Alisa McMorris, whose 12-year-old son Andrew was killed by a drunk driver in 2018

●      Arianna McMorris, whose 12-year-old brother Andrew was killed by a drunk driver in 2018

●      Sheila Lockwood, whose 23-year-old son Austin was killed by a drunk driver in 2018 

WHY: Sen. Schumer has long been a supporter of MADD and a leader in traffic safety. MADD’s Legislative Hero award officially thanks and recognizes him for the pivotal leadership he exercised to advance the drunk driving prevention technology rulemaking provision in the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

In the U.S., someone is injured by a drunk driver every 2 minutes and someone is killed every 45 minutes. According to new data released earlier this week by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol-related deaths increased 5% from 2020 to 2021, and overall traffic deaths climbed 10.5% to 42,915 – the highest in 16 years.

The advanced technology provision in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed November 5, 2021, and was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, is the most significant lifesaving legislation in terms of potential lives saved and injuries prevented in MADD’s 41-year history. The law directs the NHTSA to initiate a rulemaking process and set the final standard within three years for passive impaired driving safety equipment on all new vehicles. Automakers are then given two to three years to implement the safety standard. 

New cars equipped with the NHTSA-directed technology could start rolling off the assembly line as soon as 2026 or 2027. NHTSA will evaluate technologies that may include:

●      Driving performance monitoring systems that monitor the vehicle movement with systems like lane departure warning and attention assist;

●      Driver monitoring systems that monitor the driver’s head and eyes, typically using a camera or other sensors;

●      Alcohol detection systems that use sensors to determine whether a driver is drunk and then prevent the vehicle from moving.

About Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking. MADD has helped to save more than 400,000 lives, reduce drunk driving deaths by more than 50 percent and promote designating a non-drinking driver. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® calls for law enforcement support, ignition interlocks for all offenders and advanced vehicle technology. MADD has provided supportive services to nearly one million drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge through local victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. Visit www.madd.org or call 1-877-ASK-MADD.