WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) announced the 2018 Legislators of the Year on Tuesday, Sept. 25. These are legislators who have partnered with MADD on lifesaving legislation to stop the tragedies caused by drunk driving, the leading killer on U.S. roads.

MADD recognized 31 lawmakers from 13 states for their commitment to saving lives, including six from Alabama, four from Colorado, three from Iowa, Idaho and New Jersey, two from Louisiana, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Wisconsin, and one from Indiana, Hawaii, Michigan and Oklahoma.

Alabama House District 43 Rep. Arnold Mooney and House District 15 Rep. Allen Farley are among the state legislators honored. Districts 43 and 15 both cover parts of Shelby and Jefferson counties. Alabama District 11 Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, which covers Shelby, St. Clair and Talladega counties, was also recognized.

Other Alabama Legislators of the Year are:
Sen. Paul Bussman
Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow
Rep. Will Ainsworth

“MADD is honored to work with legislators who share our goal of eliminating the 100 percent preventable crime of drunk driving,” said MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church. “We thank these legislative champions for their leadership and for recognizing the importance of their role in reversing this public safety crisis.”

Many of the 2018 Legislators of the Year played a major role in MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which was launched in 2006. A key component of the campaign calls for the passage of all-offender interlock laws, which require the use of an ignition interlock for any convicted drunk driver who seeks driving privileges during license suspension. Prior to the campaign, only one state – New Mexico – had an all-offender interlock law. Today, 32 states and Washington D.C. have enacted all-offender interlock laws.

Other components of MADD’s Campaign include supporting high-visibility law enforcement, such as sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols, advocating for development of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS), which is an advanced vehicle technology to passively detect alcohol on a driver’s breath, and taking personal responsibility by always planning ahead for a non-drinking designated driver when plans include alcohol.