[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE JOHN R. ELLIOTT HERO CAMPAIGN FOR DESIGNATED DRIVERS

 Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, today I am honored to recognize 
the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers on the 
occasion of their 15th anniversary.
  The John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers was created 
in 2000 following the tragic death of Navy ENS John R. Elliott in a 
drunk-driving related crash.
  The campaign's mission is to prevent drunk driving-related crashes 
and deaths through the use of designated drivers. That mission has been 
a significant success across New Jersey, with many drivers citing the 
John R. Elliott HERO Campaign as a reason why they choose to serve as 
designated drivers.
  Over the last 15 years, the organization has grown from a small group 
from Southern New Jersey, to an organization nationally recognized by 
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National 
Commission Against Drunk Driving for its efforts.
  The effects of the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign have gone beyond the 
Southern New Jersey region. Seven States across our Nation have adopted 
the HERO Campaign as their designated driver model in an effort to 
decrease drunk driving fatalities. The HERO Campaign has also partnered 
with the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Phillies, and other 
professional sports franchises in their mission to promote the use of 
designated drivers. These partnerships do not include the thousands of 
individuals across our Nation who have also registered as designated 
drivers at concerts and sporting events as a pledge to the HERO 
campaign.
  The John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers was 
instrumental in the passage of John's Law, enacted in 2005, which gave 
States $145 million in highway grant incentives for establishing car 
impoundment laws for drivers suspected of drunk driving.
  The tragic circumstances surrounding Navy ENS John R. Elliott's crash 
have turned into a long history of meaningful accomplishments across 
not only New Jersey, but across our Nation. It is my hope that the 
legacy of John R. Elliott will live on and expand across our country.
  I applaud the efforts of the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for 
Designated Drivers and thank them for their efforts in making our roads 
safer across our country by promoting the use of designated 
drivers.

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