WASHINGTON, D.C. – In connection with the fifth anniversary of its national Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) this week unveiled its report rating each state on progress toward eliminating drunk driving.
 
North Carolina earned three out of a posssible five stars, with the group praising recent legislation that requires vehicle ignition interlocks for some convicted DWI offenders.
 
“Today, there is no longer a debate on the effectiveness of ignition interlocks — we’ve seen the lifesaving results — and every state should require these devices for all convicted drunk drivers. Along with broad support for high-visibility law enforcement and the DADSS program, the nation is truly on a path toward the elimination of drunk driving,” said MADD President Jan Withers.
 
“While we have made great strides over the last 30 years, drunk driving is still the deadliest epidemic on America's roads, killing approximately 11,000 people every year,” added U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “That's why the U.S. Department of Transportation is so committed to working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to save lives by promoting strong anti-drunk driving laws, enforcement strategies and public awareness efforts.”
 
Based on an average of these state ratings, the nation received a three-star rating on a five-star scale. Also included in the report are updated figures showing that drunk driving costs the United States more than $132 billion annually, according to data compiled by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).
 
The states earning a five-star rating include Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and Utah, while Montana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota each earned one star. These ratings are an indication of states passing effective laws and employing effective drunk driving countermeasures, and are independent of a state’s fatality numbers.
 
Each state’s rating was determined by adoption of the following proven drunk driving countermeasures:
  - Requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers
  - Conducting sobriety checkpoints
  - Creating enhanced penalties for those who drive drunk with children in the vehicle
  - Participating in “no-refusal” activities for those suspected of drunk driving
  - Utilizing Administrative License Revocation for drunk driving offenders
 
“MADD urges states to adopt these important laws and countermeasures to save lives and support the Campaign,” Withers said. “The Campaign’s founding components include: high-visibility law enforcement such as sobriety checkpoints, ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, and advanced and seamless in-vehicle technology to stop drunk drivers from getting on the road.”
 
The Report to the Nation also outlines the $132 billion annual cost of drunk driving in America, which consists of monetary and quality-of-life costs to victims of drunk driving, along with costs to both the government and employers. This includes $61 billion in monetary costs and $71 billion in quality-of-life losses stemming from all drunk driving crashes. The federal government paid $4.5 billion of this bill, while state and local governments paid $3.2 billion. Employers paid $10.7 billion, including $3.7 billion related to crashes involving work trips and $7 billion due to crashes outside of work involving employees and benefit-eligible dependents.