On this week’s program, your host, Justin Mog, sits down with Alex Otte, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Regional Executive Director and former National President. Alex is a Kentucky resident, who was hit by a boat driven by a drunk driver while sitting on a jet ski when she was 13 years old. Despite sustaining severe injuries — including a traumatic brain injury, broken neck, shattered femurs, and the loss of her right leg below the knee — Alex survived and has dedicated her life to ending drunk driving. Learn Alex's personal story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN7vEoTkeOE

December is Impaired Driving Prevention Month - and December is also a month where we see an increase in impaired driving due to the holiday celebrations and increased travel. Tune in as Alex shares some valuable safety tips during this high-risk period. You’ll also learn what MADD is doing to end drunk driving year-round, and how anti-drunk driving technology, required by the bipartisan, federal HALT Act which was passed into law in 2021, will ultimately end drunk driving.

Drunk driving is an escalating public health crisis. Drunk driving deaths have increased by 33% since 2019, claiming more than 13,000 lives in 2022 alone — impacting families nationwide. Every 78 seconds, someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash. Anti-drunk driving technology in cars offers a lifeline, yet regulatory delays mean 37 more lives lost each day.

MADD believes we can end drunk driving with lifesaving anti-drunk driving technology. The HALT Drunk Driving Act, passed in November 2021, requires a new national safety standard for anti-drunk driving technology in all new cars. The law then requires car manufacturers to integrate the technology in new vehicles. This technology will save more than 10,000 lives per year and prevent hundreds of thousands of injuries, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The HALT Act directs the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to complete a rulemaking process to determine what technology solution is ultimately chosen. The law directed USDOT to establish regulations for this technology by November 15, 2024. The rulemaking process involves gathering insights from a broad range of stakeholders including auto manufacturers, safety experts, engineers, and the public, ensuring that the solutions developed are both effective and practical. This is similar to the regulatory process that brought us seatbelts, airbags and backup cameras, which are all standard in new vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is directed to complete a rulemaking process within three years of the November 2021 enactment of the IIJA. Automakers will then have two to three years to implement the new standard. The auto industry has the resources and expertise to make safety advancements like drunk driving prevention a reality, much the same way it has used its R&D prowess for self-driving vehicles, electrification and many safety innovations.

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com