On Saturday, I participated along with 3,000 other walkers, in the Dallas Walk Like MADD event.

While sporting my new 2009 WLM T-shirt around town after the event, several people asked me, “What does ‘one in three’ mean?” 

“I’m glad you asked,” I said.  “Did you know that one in three individuals will be involved in an alcohol related crash at some point in their lifetime?” 

What a shocking statistic! 

When you wear your official 2009 WLM t-shirt, remember that it is an opportunity to start a conversation about drunk driving and share that it is not a crime that only impacts other people.  We are all at risk but there is a solution…

MADD knows how to eradicate drunk driving in America within our lifetime.  The Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving calls for a breath alcohol ignition interlock on all first-time convicted offenders. 

An interlock devise can prevent a vehicle from being driven by a convicted drunk driver.  It stops offenders in their tracks.  They simply cannot start their car.

Interlocks are effective.  There are over 20 high quality studies on the effectiveness of interlocks on first-time and repeat offenders.  All show decreases of 50 to 90 percent in repeat offenses when the interlock is on the vehicle. 

For more information about interlocks, visit madd.org at http://www.madd.org/Drunk-Driving/Drunk-Driving/Campaign-to-Eliminate-Drunk-Driving/Ignition-Interlocks.aspx