Object Details
- Description
- Candace Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), a citizens’ movement to fight leniency and indifference toward drinking and driving, in 1980. The California mother of three took action shortly after her daughter Cari, 13, was buried. An intoxicated driver had struck Cari from behind and killed her as she walked to a school carnival in her neighborhood. MADD and its local chapters organized community vigils, marches, and campaigns to press for tougher laws and greater public awareness. These initiatives led to new state laws holding intoxicated drivers accountable. New sobriety checkpoints, designated driver programs, and federal legislation raising the minimum drinking age to 21 kept intoxicated drivers off the road. Since its inception, MADD has been instrumental in lowering the highway fatality count due to driving while intoxicated.
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- Credit Line
- Gift of Candace Lightner
- Physical Description
- aluminum (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 6 in x 12 in x 1/16 in; 15.24 cm x 30.48 cm x .15875 cm
- Object Name
- backpack
- license plate
