Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an organization that aims to stop drunk driving, support victims of the crime and stop underage drinking, recently hosted an event called “Walk like MADD”, a 5 kilometer walk in cities nationwide to inform people of their goals. The purpose of this event is to encourage companies, corporations, the community, and groups of people to form a team of ten or more and raise donations amounting to $100 a group that will go to the organization’s campaign to eradicate drunk driving. Joining MADD in their event and sponsoring it is State Farm Insurance Company, an auto insurance provider.
Kellie Clapper, the State Farm Insurance Company community relations vice president expresses the company’s gratitude in participating in MADD’s event. She said that being able to contribute to the organization’s goals is a great feeling because they know that drunk driving is very dangerous and fatal not only to the drivers themselves but also to people who they may have a car accident with as well as their friends and family. She said that their company supported the organization because of the evident hard work that it goes through to save lives from drunk driving. Clapper also promoted the event and its efforts to eliminate impaired driving.
MADD has been battling drunken driving practices for 30 years now. According to them, they have helped reduce the number of people who died from car accidents caused by drunk driving in that 30-year period by fifty percent. Although this is a big number already, they said that they need more support so they can reduce this rate much lower. It is important that they come near their goal because lives are at stake when drunk driving is still existent.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows in their statistical data that 20% of drivers twenty years old and below that died in a car accident in 2008 were drunk. Recent study shows that this number is just minimally reduced. MADD is aiming to lower this rate much further.
Auto insurance companies on the other hand also show their support by evaluating their applicants’ driving records. If it shows that they received significant number of violations, especially those about drunk driving, they will be given less coverage or will be directed to high risk auto insurance companies instead. This helps people in choosing not to be drunk while driving so they can have better premium rates and they are sure they are covered by the insurance policy.
