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Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Waymo launch Tie One On for Safety Holiday Campaign

Posted at 8:30 AM, Nov 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-11-29 11:49:35-05

Waymo is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Waymo launched the 35th Anniversary Tie One On for Safety Holiday Campaign today at Waymo's depot, where the entire fleet of autonomous vehicles displayed a red ribbon reminder to always designate a non-drinking driver.

Tie One On for Safety is MADD's longest-running Designated Driver Campaign. Launched in 2006, "tie one on" is a throwback to the days when people would use the term as slang for consuming alcohol. For the past 35 years, MADD has used the phrase to demonstrate how everyone can tie a red ribbon - or more recently place red ribbon magnets or decals - on their car as a reminder to always designate a non-drinking driver. That message is especially important when holiday travel, parties and family gatherings put more people on the roads.

The holidays are traditionally more dangerous on America's roads, and recent traffic fatality estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show tragedies have skyrocketedduring the pandemic largely due to impaired driving, speeding and not wearing seatbelts. An estimated 20,160 people died in traffic crashes in the first half of 2021, which is the largest number of projected traffic fatalities in that timeframe since 2006. Other NHTSA reports show an alarming increase in the presence of alcohol and other drugs - and combinations of more than one impairing substance - in seriously and fatally injured patients at five trauma centers since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Other stats include:

· During the Thanksgiving weekend, from 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Eve through 5:59 a.m. Monday, December 2, 2019, drunk driving killed 120 people, which is 29% of all traffic deaths during that time period.
· Thanksgiving Eve through 5:59 a.m. Thanksgiving Day is typically a dangerous time on the road. NHTSA has called it "Blackout Wednesday." In 2019, 36 people were killed, accounting for 30% of all traffic deaths.
· From 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Eve through New Year's Eve 2019, 926 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, 29% of all traffic deaths
· During the month of December, 837 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, 29% of all traffic deaths
· On Christmas Eve, 27 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, 30% of all traffic deaths
· Around Christmas Day, from 6 p.m. December 24 to 5:59 a.m. December 26, 53 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, 38% of all traffic deaths
· New Year's Eve (12/31/2018 to New Year's Day: 5:59am 01/01/2019) 54 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, 36% of all traffic deaths