TheAgitator.com
More MADDness
Friday, March 14th, 2008So I was looking at Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s “States Progress Report” chart (pdf) while researching an upcoming article. There are several things wrong with the chart, most notably that they measure “success” by percentage of traffic fatalities that involved alcohol. This is problematic for several reasons. The first is of course the usual complaint about the overly broad definition of “alcohol-related.” But it’s also the wrong way to measure progress. There will always be a group of hardcore alcoholics on the road who are impervious to PR campaigns, roadblock checkpoints, and the like. As technology makes cars safer, then, the total number of traffic fatalities is going to continue to decline. But that core group of alcoholics will still be out there, meaning the percentage of total traffic fatalities caused by drunk driving is likely to increase. A better measure would be to look at the number of deaths caused by drunk drivers for every million miles driven.
The other mistake with the chart is that MADD is measuring progress by whether a state went up or down in the percentage of highway fatalities related to alcohol in the previous year. So if a state has shown 20 years of progress, then blipped up a bit (as many have, I’d argue in part because they’ve adopted some of MADD’s counterproductive policy recommendations), MADD says they need all sorts of newer, tougher laws.
But this, of course, assumes that MADD is interested in displaying data in an intellectually honest way. We all know by now that that isn’t the case. Which brings me to the more amusing problem with the chart: For each and every state, MADD looks very carefully at the numbers, then concludes that–surprise!–the numbers demand that particular state must adopt the organization’s latest public policy crusade–mandatory ignition interlock devices for first-time offenders.
Utah, for example, has by far the lowest percentage of traffic fatalities related to alcohol. MADD says of Utah, “The nation’s best, but an alarming 64% increase in fatalities in 2006 means they need to require interlocks for all offenders.”
Hmm. Okay. Well how about Alaska, which had a 30 percent decrease in percentage of alcohol-related fatalities over the previous year? MADD writes, “Had a significant decrease in 2006, but will need to pass mandatory interlock
law in order to sustain the decreases.”
How about Nebraska, which has the third lowest percentage of alcohol-related fatalities overall, and showed a 5 percent drop from 2005 to 2006? MADD says, “Among the nation’s best, but they need to pass a mandatory interlock law to sustain their decreases.”
In fact, according to MADD just about every state “needs an interlock law,” no matter what the numbers say. Which would be fine, except that MADD pretends to have arrived at its strong recommendations for an interlock law only after carefully studying the numbers.
BTW, I’m not dead set against interlocks. They make some sense for repeat offenders, though even then there are some problems with the idea (emergencies, the offender could merely drive a friend or relative’s car, etc.). But no, I don’t think someone who gets a DWI for blowing .085 should have to pay $1,000 and blow in a tube before starting a car for the rest of his life, in addition to the thousands of dollars in fines and fees he’ll already have to pay.
Well we have already lost 4th and 5th amendment rights in these cases.Punishment starts when you are charged.In some areas,if you refuse to talk or blow the judges throw the book at you.Add the fact of the cost to defend yourself and many innocent people take a plea just to stop the bleeding.
MADD is just prohibitionists in disguise
The real question is….
Are the companies that make the interlocks making fat donations to MADD (like they were the UT legislator that brought the law up in the first place)?
This is my big issue with DUI law. A driver has a has a couple of beers, get stopped at a DUI checkpoint. The officer gives him a field sobriety test, he passes, but blows 0.081. Now he has an interlock on his car. Lets say the guy happened to be in sales or real estate. How the crap is he supposed to explain to his clients for the rest of his career. At the very least it would be an embarrassment. If it was a company car he’d surely get fired. Unless he’s self-employed he’d probably loose his job for harming no one, and putting absolutely no one in danger.
When are we going to stop giving violent criminals a revolving door so that we can afford to lock up non-violent societal and economic contributors?
Oh, I forgot to add: New York added an interlock law an experienced a 4.8% drop. Wisconsin did nothing and the drop was 5.3%.
As long as we’re fudging the numbers: I say that if a 30% of fatal accidents were as a result of alcohol, I can also say that you’re more likely to be killed by a sober driver than a drunk one.
It looks like they have an advertisement for the interlocks, disguised as a statistical analysis. How low! If they wanted to push the interlocks, they should do a national campaign, and not throw us ONDCP type of propaganda! They are not acting real smart, here!
Blue: Well, eventually they’re going to push just as hard for interlocks in all cars, so then it won’t be a stigma anymore!
Be very afraid of MADD, they are a prohobitionist organization, no matter what they say, and they misuse statistics (in ways that most don’t recognize) to further their mis-guided agenda to outlaw anyone from having a drink and getting behind the wheel, regardless if they are actually a threat.
Currently 1.5 million people are arrested for DUI’s every year, with the majority not hurting a single person. This is one of the biggest problems with an organization such as MADD, they treat social drinkers like the hardcore drinkers (who cause the majority of alcohol-related (another crappy term) deaths. Makes a nice little circular funding arrangement. Arrest more people on the fringe, means that we need more cops and money, now you can arrest more, and the problem is even more, hire more and need more money, and on, and on it goes. Before long everyone will have a DUI.
From what I know of the interlock things, is that they will drop down and randomly want to test your breath, now I know every machine is infallible (sarcasm) and always works 100% (never any errors). So you’re driving down the road, the machine signals that you need to blow into this thing, you do and it doesn’t register or says that you have had alchol. You have a short amount of time to pull over or the car will turn off. I live in Northern VA, could you imagine if this happened on the belt-way at rush hour.
Jerry,the bar is already set low for these devises.Look at BAC machines use in dui.They have a large margin of error and yet are taken as the truth in court.In many places you cannot dispute their finding.When you take harm out of the law and need to show guilt with out a victim you must shrink rights and expand police power to get a conviction.With out these machines the police would have to prove harm or danger.As you have stated most dui’s do not fall in this group.
This is one of the reasons that I don’t put any faith in polls or statistical studies. It is too easy to manipulate the results. I took a Statistics class a few years ago and the Professor gave the following example.
Suppose your polling firm was hired to take a poll on which political party Democrat or Republican was most favored in a community. Where would you place your poll takers and when would you gather your information? If you wanted an impartial poll you would gather your samples at varied locations and at various times of day.
Say you were hired by an affliliate of the Democratic Party and if they didn’t like your results you might not be hired to do any more polls. Where would you place your poll takers and when would you gather your information? You might try malls and grocery stores from 9AM to 11AM and 2PM and 4PM. You might also try to take your poll at the beginning of the month. The reasoning is that statistically people who work unconventional hours and people on Social Security tend to favor the Democrats. If you were hired by a Republican affiliate you would try to gather your sample in the evenings or in the middle of the day, because statistically people who work conventional hours tend toward the Republican point of view.
In the situations mentioned above it is easy to skew the results in the desired direction. MADD has taken it one step further. The have influenced the government agency responsible for gathering this information into changing the information collected to benefit MADD. This is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
What used to be a fatality caused by alcohol is now an alcohol related incident. It used to be that the driver causing the fatality had to be legally intoxicated for it to be counted. Now it is if anybody involved in the accident has a measurable amount of alcohol in their system. If someone has two beers and WALKS out in front of you and you break their leg, it is counted. If you are a completely sober designated driver and a deer runs out in front of you, it is an alcohol related incident because your passengers were drinking.
In the end, as usual it all comes down to money. MADD went from being a true grass roots organization to a multi million dollar lobbying business. Don’t let the non-profit bit fool you. MADD’s top people are pulling down six figure salaries with perks and benefits. NHTSA like any other government agency has to supposedly show a need to get their share of the Federal budget and is a willing participant in skewing the statistics to make the problem look worse than it is. Let’s not forget the insurance companies who make contributions to MADD and donate things like flashlights with built in alcohol sensors and breathalyzers to local police departments and then use these inflated statistics to justify higher premiums on auto insurance. Last but not least let’s not forget local police departments who apply to MADD and NHTSA for grants to fund their DUI roadblocks. (There is a local town that only has two officers patrolling during the week, but can field fifteen officers on Friday and Saturday nights for their checkpoints. The majority of these are part time officers who are retired augumenting their income. These are the people who check that little box on the accident report marked “alcohol related”. I have it from a good source that there are seminars on creative “grant proposal writing” availible from some police unions.
I believe that MADD is subsidized with Federal money.
That’s not the worst part, from my point of view. The “M” is the worst part. Which they share with the WCTU.
(founded in Illinois, from which come both Hillary and Barack. I hate Illinois Nazis.)
I think that xx people don’t (in general) want us xy people to drink because:
A. They can’t handle the juice as well as we can (scientifically proven), and
B. When we’ve had a few, we might tell them _exactly_ what we think of them.
These interlocks are crap, I have had many false readings with them even without drinking, had one time where it gave me a fail, which means intoxicated, then 15 minutes later a pass….no alcohol, then a warning, which means over .05, so in 30 minutes time I went from intoxicated to sober to a little under the influence. I called the place and they gave me some bullcrap excuse, another time I get a pass then 6 minutes later a warning…I was told oh well you didnt blow into it the right way….ok so where did the alcohol come from????? Now I have to explain to my probation officer what happened and hope they dont throw me in jail, if they do I am taking someone to court, at the interlock place, they have no identification on their test samples for calibration, and oh cologne will set it off if you have it on your hands and touch the unit
Jerry,
Enjoyed the stats, I like math…LOL
Here is some for you to digest….
The governments buy out of the Banks…. 700 Billion dollars…
Interesting to note that from 1992 there have been an average of 1.6 Million convicted of DUI and ORDERED to pay fines, court costs, DUI schools, Interlock, attorneys etc… about $5,000-10,000.00 worth of related expenses, plus the Added insurance of about $1,000.00 per year for ten years… LOL you know where I’m going with this yet???
So using that as an average, lets go up until 2008 and WOW there was about 425. BILLION dollars that was NOT used to pay mortgages, buy new cars, get medical insurance, spend at Wal-mart or support the economy in any way… that was re-directed into the the MADDness…
Add to this the jobs lost, promotions not given, divorces, homes lost and other “repercussions” of a “ticket” (DUI) and it is staggering on the economy…
Oh and BTW how about all the federal Highway monies that were “diverted” into DUI prevention programs, instead of being used for levies, bridges and road maintenance? Got spent instead on Officers overtime, while standing in the rain to get another fish for their bowl…
So, How much has MADD really cost the nation? Besides the obvious of the lies to get the laws on the books in the first place…
Judy
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