MADD Orange County - December 2000 Newsletter

	Mothers Against Drunk Driving Orange County Chapter

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December 2000 Newsletter (Part 1 of 2)

This fall, we were fortunate to have a group of dedicated students from California State University Fullerton directly helping MADD as a marketing class project. This group focused on our Designated Driver Program, succeeding in adding three new Fullerton establishments to our program: Brian's, Off Campus Pub and El Torito Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Fullerton.

The students developed an innovative incentive program for the servers to encourage them to promote designated drivers among their patrons. Their hard work paid off as they recorded 336 designated drivers at these three restaurants over the course of the ten weeks that they worked with us.

Many thanks to this CSUF group and all our participating restaurants for their help in insuring safer streets and highways in Orange County. If you are interested in having us encourage involvement from a restaurant you frequent, please contact us!

"As restaurant operators, we have a huge responsibility to our guests, employees and the public. Claim Jumper is proud to have promoted MADD's Designated Driver Program for many years in our restaurants, and will continue to do so with added emphasis throughout the holidays." - Brent Campbell, Claim Jumper

Current list of Designated Driver Restaurants

MADD's Statement of Beliefs

That our Primary reason for existence is to eliminate the crime of drunk driving.
That serving the needs of victims of drunk driving is a role of critical importance that MADD is uniquely able to perform.
That all rights of drunk driving victims must be given proper recognition.
That a balanced program of education, legislation, public awareness and aggressive enforcement by police, prosecutors and the courts is the key to eliminating drunk driving.
That while an individual's decision to consume alcohol is a private matter, driving after consuming alcohol or other drugs is a public matter.
That the conduct of an aggressive legislative and public policy advocacy program is essential to achieve MADD's mission.
That drunk drivers and others who contribute to the crime of drunk driving must be held accountable for their behavior.
That driving is a privilege, not a right.
That proactive rehabilitation of problem drinkers who drive is essential to the prevention and elimination of drunk driving.
That MADD is a grassroots organization that draws its strength, energy and leadership from its volunteers.
That active participation in MADD chapter activities is productive for the community and for many victims of drunk driving, a healing and personal growth experience.

Checkpointers Give Their Opinion and Viewpoints

"They [law enforcement] deserve our support for doing such a great job of making our streets safe."

"My MADD hat is off in salute to our law-enforcement teams."

"Although I have always been a careful driver, after attending my first checkpoint and seeing the number of license violators and impaired drivers, I have become a more defensive driver!"

"I have always been active in supporting Checkpoints and I enjoy them because each one is like being on a new episode of COPS. "

"The assistance you and your organization provided went far beyond the dollars in staff time you saved us ... it was readily clear to anyone driving through the checkpoint that this was more than just a police effort, this was a community effort." - Police Chief

"Please extend our appreciation to the volunteers who make this checkpoint a success. - Deputy, Orange County Sheriff's Department

"Checkpoints not only remove impaired drivers from the road, they can double, triple or even quadruple duty in all areas of law enforcement. When invited, we should feel obliged to be there"

"We would like to extend a personal 'Thank You' to Domino's Pizza for their on-going support. Without you, we wouldn't last past 10:00p.m.!"

"I strongly encourage all who are able to get involved in MADD's Checkpointer Program, both to educate and to be educated."

The Cellular Secret

Now, when motorists are threatened on the roadway, they can call for help. On December 1, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed an order that mandates that wireless carriers must process 9-1-1 calls even from phones that have no current wireless service ("uninitialized phones").

Essentially, this leaves us with a great emergency device that is virtually free! So, whether or not you currently have a cell phone with wireless service, it would be a good idea to keep a fully charged phone without service turned off in your glove compartment for emergencies.

Uninitialized Wireless Phone n. 1. cell phones that have never been subscribed to a carrier's service; out of the box or never activated 2. cell phones that were subscribed to a carrier, but have since been deactivated due to the account being closed or the device being replaced by a new device with the same phone number, etc.

What do I do if I see a dangerous driver on the road?

Maintain a safe following distance of one city block.
Don't attempt to pass; the driver might swerve into you.
If the driver is behind you, turn right at the nearest intersection; let the driver pass before returning to your route.
Move to the shoulder and stop if the driver is coming head-on.
Be extremely cautious crossing an intersection... even if the light is green.
Always wear your seatbelts, and keep children in approved safety seats. Keep all doors locked.

You can report a dangerous driver to your local law enforcement from your cell phone or a pay phone. Give them as much of the following information as possible:

your location
direction and street the car is traveling
description of the driver
vehicle color, make, model and license plate number

If there is an available patrol unit in the area, law enforcement will be able to keep an eye out for the vehicle.

Do you have the Characteristics of a Defensive Driver?

1. KNOWLEDGE: Of how to recognize problems, how to avoid collisions, the traffic laws where you are driving, how to maintain your vehicle, and how to perform simple emergency repairs
2. ALERTNESS: Pay attention to traffic conditions, your mental condition, your physical condition, and to what is happening on all around you.
3. FORESIGHT: Scan the road ahead for the unexpected, never assume others will drive safely, and always wear your safety belt
4. JUDGMENT: Control your emotions while driving, resist the temptation of risky maneuvers, pass and turn only when it is safe to do so, and remain courteous when other drivers don't.

This page is http://www.maddorangecounty.org/news/Dec2000.htm

Page updated: August 12, 2005

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