KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This New Year’s Eve, the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving is raising awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.
“Just think before you drink,” MADD Program Manager Lori Marshall said. “Whether it’s Uber, whether it’s Lyft, whatever you do please don’t get behind the wheel impaired.”
In partnership with Waterway, the group held a fundraiser for victims of impaired driving, handing out red ribbons and stickers as a reminder to think twice before getting behind the wheel.
“I’ve had a friend who has been a victim of drunk driving or driving under the influence, so I definitely know it impacts family, everybody else around you,” Erick Gray said after donating.
With more people traveling and gathering, the holidays are one of the most dangerous times to drive; According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 1,000 drunk driving deaths between November and January 2020.
That was thirty percent of all traffic deaths in the U.S.
“You don’t want to lose your life and you don’t want to be responsible for taking the life of someone else,” Marshall said. “We just ask everybody to please make smart decisions tonight and every night to not get behind the wheel of the car impaired.”