GM Foundation Donates to MADD

General Motors (GM) has been a strong advocate for safety over the past few decades. This includes a record of making cars safer and improving awareness of safety issues on the road. The most recent step the GM Foundation has taken to improve safety is to donate $150,000 to the organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The organization strives to make the roads safer by addressing underage drinking and driving. This latest donation adds to the nearly $4 million that the GM Foundation has donated to MADD since the first contribution in 1995.

The Goals of MADD

The primary goal of MADD is to reduce the number of deaths that occur every year because of people who drink and drive. The program has a special focus on underage drinking because the daughter of the founder was killed by a drunk driver in 1980. MADD also assists people who have been affected by drunk driving including victims of accidents. The organization helps by providing support and resources. A final goal of MADD is to change the laws in different states regarding drinking and driving. The policy efforts include lowering legal blood alcohol levels and enacting mandatory sentencing for people convicted of driving while intoxicated.

How the Donations Will Be Used

Much of the $150,000 donation from the GM Foundation will be used by MADD to fund programs that work towards the education of drivers about the dangers of drunk driving. The programs target adults and underage drivers in many different states. Some of the donation will be used to provide extra support to victims of drunk driving accidents and the families of those victims. Part of the contribution from the GM Foundation will also be used to fund a program called the Power of Parents. This program provides educational resources and supplies to parents so they can educate underage children about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Reception

The donation by the GM Foundation has had a largely positive reception. Advocates of organizations like MADD cite the nearly 10,000 deaths and over 300,000 injuries that occur because of drunk drivers every year. The donation could help to reduce these numbers in the future. Organizations in the alcohol industry have expressed some criticism over the donation. The criticism is largely based on objections to the policy initiatives that MADD promotes such as stronger controls over the sale and licensing of liquor.