20th Anniversary of Nation's Worst DUI Crash Reminds America to Support MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving

SEE ALSO: NTSB Carrollton Bus Disaster Report

Moment of Silence in Honor of Victims/Survivors Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 11 a.m. C.T.

DALLAS, and FRANKFORT, Ky., May 13, 2008; Wednesday, May 14, 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of the worst drunk driving crash in U.S. history -- the Kentucky Bus Crash. In honor of the victims/survivors of the crash, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is calling for the nation to hold a moment of silence at 11 a.m. CT, on Wednesday, May 14, as well as support the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving by signing the pledge to help ensure that there are no future drunk driving victims/survivors.

On May 14, 1988, a repeat DUI offender with a .24 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC), heading the wrong way down the highway in a pickup truck, slammed into a bus returning from a church trip to Kings Island Amusement Park. The fiery crash killed 27 passengers, 24 youth and three adults, including Karolyn Nunnallee's 10-year-old daughter, Patty. Thirty others were injured. This tragic and preventable incident propelled Karolyn into a career of volunteer activism beginning at the local community level and then she became MADD National President from 1998-1999.

MADD Past National President Nunnallee said, "For nearly 20 years I have fought on the grassroots level adhering to the mission of MADD, and my work is far from over. As a victim advocate I am so grateful that MADD took the lead and formed the first Crises Response Team in the nation. They were the first to assist the first responders in the crash and then coming to Radcliff to assist the families whose loved ones were killed and those who were scarred physically and mentally in the crash."

In a different crash over 20 years ago, MADD National President Glynn Birch's, 21-month-old-son Courtney, was killed on May 3, 1988, by a repeat offender in Florida. "Drunk driving continues to kill and injure thousands every month and we now have a solution to stop it, ignition interlocks," said Glynn Birch, MADD national president. "Let's not allow another 20 years to go by following the worst drunk driving crash in U.S. history without ensuring interlocks are passed for first time convicted offenders in every state." There are currently 135,000 interlocks in circulation but 1 million people convicted of drunk driving every year in the U.S. Alcohol ignition interlocks are up to 90 percent effective in reducing repeat offenses when installed on vehicles. (Cochran Database of Systematic Reviews, 2005)

The National Transportation Safety Board remembers the impact of this crash and how it spurred along tougher safety standards and further anti-drunk driving legislation. "After the Safety Board's accident report on the Carrollton tragedy, every state reviewed its driving-under-the-influence legislation in light of our safety recommendations," said NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. "In the years following the crash, we saw many badly needed improvements, such as lowering the BAC threshold for DWI from .10 to .08, an increase in the use of ignition interlocks, and greater use of administrative license revocation for BAC failure or refusal. But the persistent problem of hard core drinking drivers presents a stubborn challenge to those in the highway safety community. There is still much to be done."

Angela Criswell, MADD state executive director for MADD Kentucky, said, "In the wake of the bus crash, Kentucky made huge strides in drunk driving education, enforcement, and prosecution, and as a result countless lives have been saved. In fact, in 2006 our percentage of traffic fatalities that involved a drunk driver was the second best in the nation (24.3%). But we aren't yet using the best tool we have at our disposal -- alcohol ignition interlocks. When you imagine the still more countless lives this technology could save -- would save -- it makes no sense that Kentucky so rarely uses it."

MADD's victim services team served nearly 50,000 victims/survivors free of charge last year. Currently, national funding to support many of those trained victim advocates is in jeopardy under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). MADD asks the public to write their legislator in support of VOCA funding for MADD as well as in support of ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers as outlined in MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.

The Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, launched in November 2006, has four elements: intensive, high-visibility law enforcement, full implementation of alcohol ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, development of advanced vehicle technologies to prevent drunk driving and grassroots support led by MADD and its 400+ affiliates, to make the elimination of drunk driving a reality.

MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. MADD is a 501 (c) (3) charity with 2 million members and supporters nationwide. Founded in 1980, MADD has helped save more than 330,000 lives. For more information, visit www.madd.org.