MADD’s Tie One On For Safety is a designated driver campaign that has been observed for over 36 years and takes place during the November/December holiday season. It is observed between November 16th and December 31st.

This campaign encourages everyone to display a MADD ribbon in a visible location to remind everyone that if they are drinking, then they need to designate a non-drinking driver. Although this is important every single day of the year, it is especially important during the holiday season.

During this time, there is a proliferation of office parties, family get-togethers, and celebrations that often feature alcohol, so everyone needs to make sure that no one drives drunk.

The History of MADD’s Tie One On For Safety

The organization MADD was founded by Candace Lightner in May of 1980 in response to her daughter Cari being killed by a drunk driver. At the time that MADD was started, it was estimated that over 660,000 people were injured in drunk driving accidents per year, with approximately 33% of them dying as a result.

In 1986, MADD launched its Tie One On For Safety campaign. This is currently the organization’s longest-running campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving and to encourage people to keep inebriated friends and family members from getting behind the wheel.

Important Facts About Drunk Driving

To drive home the dangers of driving under the influence and the fact that drunk driving destroys thousands of lives every year, we decided to take the time to list some facts about it below. We hope the following facts serve as a grim reminder that nothing good comes from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated.

• In 2020, over 11,000 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths.
• In the United States, a person dies in drunk-driving crashes every 45 minutes.
• On average, a drunk driver will drive over 75 times under the influence before their first arrest.
• Every two minutes, someone is injured in an alcohol-related incident.

Observing MADD’s Tie One On For Safety

The way this campaign is observed is something that people can not only do during the November and December months but should do all year long. This means committing oneself to not getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking, making sure that friends and family members don’t drive drunk, and always using a designated driver.

People can also display the MADD Ribbon to remind everyone of these important points. Another thing that can be done is to host alcohol-free parties during the holiday season. And people can use the hashtag #TieOneOnForSafety on social media.