Latest news with #MADD
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
100 Deadliest Days: Summer months bring spike in Las Vegas traffic fatalities
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As the country kicks off summer with Memorial Day weekend, road safety experts are sounding the alarm about a deadly seasonal trend that takes thousands of lives each year. Spanning from Memorial Day to Labor Day, this period marks the most dangerous time of year on U.S. roads, with a sharp increase in traffic fatalities, especially among teen drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this 100-day stretch historically sees a significant spike in fatal crashes, often fueled by a deadly mix of distracted driving, speeding, and impaired driving. During this stretch, a deadly mix of more vehicles, less supervision, and distracted or impaired driving makes for a perfect storm. It is a grim reminder that the freedom of summer can come at a devastating cost. It is something Annette Barrera knows all too well. 'Unfortunately, I spent a good year and a half in the hospital recovering from the various injuries,' Annette Barrera, who was hit by a drunk driver when she was 18 years old, said. During the '100 deadliest days' of 2024, at least 47 lives were lost on Clark County Roads. While Barrera is still recovering physically and mentally, she is moving forward with purpose, turning her tragedy into action. She's working with MADD, better known as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the goal: no more victims. 'There are other people on the road, there are other lives that can be affected. The ripple is grand,' Annette Barrera said. Young and inexperienced drivers are among the most vulnerable during these summer months. With school out and more time spent behind the wheel, teens are at greater risk of engaging in risky driving behaviors. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that teen drivers are three times more likely than adults to be involved in a deadly crash. While the official school year is over, it is important to remember that summer sessions will begin soon, and students will be out walking to and from school. 'Please remember that although summer vacation is starting for some it's not starting for everyone,' Clark County School District Police Lieutenant Bryan Zink said. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, teen drivers ages 16 to 17 are more likely to be involved in crashes compared to older drivers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
19-05-2025
- CTV News
MADD Nipissing Chapter honours local officers for impaired driving enforcement efforts
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Nipissing Chapter recognized three local officers for their dedication to combating impaired driving during its annual Officer Awards Ceremony on May 12, 2025, held at the Kinsmen Trail memorial picnic table. (Supplied/Ontario Provincial Police)
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bonne Terre Grandmother has success changing laws in other states, but not her own
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Cecilia Williams has been pushing for law changes since experiencing an unthinkable tragedy in 2021. Her son, daughter-in-law, and one of her grandchildren were killed by a drunk driver. 'Missouri has an extremely huge problem with impaired driving,' she said. Williams said what's become 'Bentley's Law' has passed in other states but failed to pass again in Missouri. The state's legislative session ended on Thursday. The law would require impaired offenders who take the lives of parents to pay child support to caregivers left to care for surviving children. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The law is named after one of the surviving children Williams is caring for. 'Financially, a lot of people can't afford it, but with Bentley's law, it gives them the extra support that is needed,' Williams said. She attended a banquet in St. Charles on Thursday night, hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The awards ceremony honored 133 members of law enforcement for their dedication to impaired driving enforcement. Jerod Breit, MADD's regional executive director, credits Williams' determination for other states passing legislation she's fighting for. 'She's been triumphant across the country and even outside the United States when it comes to Benley's Law,' he said. Williams said that states that have passed the law include Tennessee, Kentucky, Maine, Texas, Utah, South Dakota and Montana. She said the law has even passed in the Cayman Islands and South Korea. 'There's no reason why Missouri cannot pass this important piece of legislation to help families who really need it,' she said. First responders discover body following house fire Breit said MADD and the agency's supporters pushed for several measures aimed at reducing impaired driving in Missouri, but the effort failed despite overwhelming support from lawmakers and near unanimous support in the House, where the measure easily passed. 'Unfortunately, it didn't make it through in the Senate,' Breit said. Williams blamed political bickering for the measure failing to pass before the session ended. She and Breit vow to push again for a change in Missouri's law when the next legislative session starts in January. State Senator Mike Henderson sponsored SB 235 and supported the effort to pass the legislation. He said, 'I am very disappointed. I do not believe it had anything to do with Benley's Law or actually the bill itself. We just ran out of time.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- CTV News
MADD launches Campaign 911 initiative
Winnipeg Watch MADD is wanting people to be aware of impaired driving on Manitoba roads this summer.
Winnipeg Free Press
13-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Impaired driving kills'
The mother of a woman killed by a drunk driver is imploring Manitobans to call 911 when they spot people they suspect are impaired behind the wheel, as the unofficial start of summer approaches. 'Impaired driving kills. It devastates families, friends, it devastates communities,' said Karen Reimer, whose 24-year-old daughter Jordyn Reimer was killed by a drunk driver in 2022. 'We are asking people, please do not minimize that a vehicle is a serious weapon in the hands of an impaired driver… if you suspect a driver is impaired, call 911 and report it, just like you would if you were witnessing any other kind of crime.' MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Jordan Reimer's (from left) sister, Andrea, mother, Karen, and father, Doug, along with her many friends and supporters of MADD gather at Jordyn's Memorial Bench on the Transcona Trail. She made the comments at a Tuesday event organized by the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Winnipeg chapter, ahead of the May long weekend. The event was attended by the Winnipeg Police Service and RCMP, as well as Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt, was part of MADD's yearly campaign calling for motorists to act. 'It's one of the most important tools we have in the fight against impaired driving because it puts power directly in the hands of the public,' said MADD local president Trevor Enns of the campaign, which began in the early 1990s. 'It reminds all of us that when we see something, we can and we should say something… that call could prevent a crash — it could even save a life.' The event was held at a memorial bench for Reimer on the Transcona Trail, near her father's home on Hoka Street. Family and friends of the family stood behind the bench, holding poster boards with photographs of Reimer, as officials spoke to the media. Reimer was killed by drunk driver Tyler Scott Goodman early on May 1, 2022 in a high-speed wreck on a quiet Transcona street, blocks from her home. She was acting as a designated driver for loved ones that night. 'Jordyn's death was incredibly senseless and entirely preventable,' said Reimer. 'Impaired driving is a choice, not an accident.' Goodman, in his early 30s, later pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death and failing to remain at the scene. He was given seven years in prison in November 2023. Police said there tends to be more impaired driving during the warmer months, particularly on long weekends. GOFUNDME Jordyn Reimer, 24, was killed by a drunk driver in 2022. RCMP traffic services Sgt. Darcy Pahl said Mounties responded to 65 fatal crashes in Manitoba last year, which resulted in 75 deaths. He said 28 per cent of those crashes were drug or alcohol related. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. WPS Const. Alexander Peterson said anyone who spots a possible impaired driver should not hesitate. 'It's urgent for us to know — we look at it as an emergency,' he said. 'We want to stop it in progress.' Winnipeg police statistics recently showed a nearly 31 per cent increase in impaired driving offences laid in 2024 over 2023, which police attributed to increased enforcement. Nearly 50 per cent of Winnipeg drivers tested had cannabis in their system. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
