[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19498-19500]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 328--SUPPORTING THE DECEMBER 3, 2015, NATIONAL DAY OF 
REMEMBRANCE FOR VICTIMS OF DRUNK AND DRUGGED DRIVING AND FOR VICTIMS OF 
                 THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNDERAGE DRINKING

  Mr. UDALL (for himself and Mrs. Capito) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 328

       Whereas drunk driving is still a leading cause of death and 
     injury on the roadways of the United States and nearly 1 in 3 
     traffic fatalities involved alcohol-impaired crashes, 
     according to studies conducted by the National Highway 
     Traffic Safety Administration;
       Whereas, in 2014, there were 9,967 people killed in 
     alcohol-impaired crashes, representing an average of 27 
     alcohol-impaired

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     driving fatalities every day and 1 alcohol-impaired driving 
     fatality every 53 minutes;
       Whereas countless victims, survivors, families, and loved 
     ones are left to cope with the aftermath of these terrible 
     crashes;
       Whereas victims and survivors of drunk and drugged driving 
     and the consequences of underage drinking are cause for 
     concern;
       Whereas Mothers Against Drunk Driving (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``MADD'') was founded in 1980 and today continues 
     with the mission to end drunk driving, help fight drugged 
     driving, support the victims of these crimes and crashes, and 
     prevent underage drinking;
       Whereas drunk driving deaths have been reduced dramatically 
     since 1980, from more than 25,000 deaths per year to just 
     under 10,000 in 2014, thanks to efforts from MADD, other 
     community organizations, States, schools, law enforcement 
     agencies, safety technologies and programs, improved laws, 
     and growing public recognition of the risks posed by drunk 
     driving;
       Whereas combating drunk and drugged driving is a 
     legislative priority for the Senate in the 114th Congress, 
     advancing a multi-year transportation reauthorization bill 
     that provides incentives to States to adopt measures to 
     reduce impaired driving and authorizes impaired driving 
     research and development;
       Whereas, on December 3, 2015, MADD locations across the 
     United States will honor those individuals killed, injured, 
     or emotionally devastated by drunk and drugged driving and 
     underage drinking with a National Day of Remembrance; and
       Whereas the National Day of Remembrance is a chance for the 
     public to come together in communities across the United 
     States and online to show that the victims and survivors of 
     these senseless tragedies are not alone: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors the victims of drunk and drugged driving; and
       (2) recognizes the consequences of underage drinking on the 
     first annual National Day of Remembrance.
  Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, no family should lose a loved one to a 
drunk driver. But, sadly, so many families do--every day, every month, 
every year. It happens in my State. It happens all across our Nation. 
It is tragic, it is senseless, and it must stop.
  Last weekend, according to the Albuquerque Journal, police reported 
that an ``extremely intoxicated'' driver ran a red light and smashed 
into the car of three young people.
  Robert Mendez was 27 years old. His brother Sergio Mendez-Aguirre was 
23, and their friend Grace Sinfield was 20.
  The violence of the collision was so great that their car flipped 
over. They died early Sunday morning--at the end of the Thanksgiving 
weekend. The police investigation continues. But this much is certain: 
A holiday that began in joy--for these families--ended in great sorrow.
  Sergio Mendez-Aguirre graduated from the University of New Mexico 
with honors in chemistry. Robert Mendez was a student at UNM. Grace 
Sinfield was studying to be a writer.
  Our hearts go out to the Mendez and Sinfield families. These young 
people were just beginning, just starting out in life, and just finding 
their way.
  Robert Mendez's family remembers how he believed that, ``Fear is 
everyone's number one enemy. Take chances, make mistakes, and learn 
from them. After all, we grow from experience. Life is too short to 
live timidly.''
  The Albuquerque Journal reported that Sergio Mendez-Aguirre once 
asked, ``What can make you more happy than making others happy?'' His 
answer was, ``Nothing can.''
  Grace Sinfield's family spoke of her great spirit. ``She was a true 
friend who taught us how to love unconditionally; she was the life of 
every party. She attracted laughter like she was a magnet. Just as 
important and relevantly, she was always responsible and by proxy made 
those around her more responsible and better people.''
  Three young lives--full of promise--and now over in one terrible 
moment--they will be missed by so many in Albuquerque.
  Every DWI death is a tragedy--and an unnecessary tragedy. It doesn't 
have to happen. But, year after year, for too many families, it does. 
More than 10,000 people are killed every year, and another 290,000 are 
injured, all as a result of drunk driving.
  Those are horrific numbers, but they are more than just numbers. They 
are stories of profound loss and should outrage us all. In years past, 
it was even worse. In 1980, 25,000 people--two and one-half times more 
people than now--died because of drunk driving--25,000 people, in 1 
year.
  We are making progress thanks to determined families and law 
enforcement and thanks to groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving. I 
am proud to work with them. But we still have work to do. There are 
10,000 families--every year--to remind us--10,000 families in grief, in 
pain, and all because of drunk driving. No parent should have to grieve 
a child's loss on the holidays--or any day.
  When I was elected attorney general in New Mexico 25 years ago, we 
had the highest rate of DWI deaths in the Nation. We were the worst--
too many drunk drivers, too many repeat offenders, too many innocent 
people dying every year.
  We pushed for reform. We identified solutions--in law enforcement and 
in prevention. But there was a lot of push back, a lot of opposition in 
the State legislature. And then along came a mom named Nadine Milford. 
Her daughter and granddaughters were killed by a drunk driver on 
Christmas Eve 1992. It is hard to imagine such a loss.
  So we changed New Mexico's DWI and traffic safety laws. We got it 
done because of moms like Nadine, because of families and friends who 
had had enough and would not take no for an answer.
  In the early 1990s, my State had up to 500 DWI deaths a year. Last 
year, it was 166. But that is still 166 too many. We still lose too 
many innocent lives--young and old alike--in New Mexico and all across 
our Nation.
  I believe new technology will help. That is why I have pushed for the 
Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, or DADSS. This technology 
is critically important and will make a critical difference. We all 
know this. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration knows it. 
The auto industry knows it. And they are working together to make it 
happen.
  DADSS would be built into new vehicles. It would analyze a driver's 
breath or blood alcohol content. It would stop drunk drivers from 
turning on the engine. If you are drunk, you will not drive, period.
  This could save 59,000 lives over 15 years. It could save up to $343 
billion. The highway bill includes continued funding for DADSS research 
over the next 5 years. I am grateful the conference committee supported 
this vital technology.
  But technology alone is not enough. In the meantime, the message 
should be loud and clear. Anyone who gets behind the wheel while 
impaired should not drive.
  That is why I also urge passage of a resolution I am submitting--
supporting the December 3, 2015, National Day of Remembrance for 
victims of drunk and drugged driving. We want to say to their 
families--we have not forgotten them. We remember. We will do all we 
can to prevent these tragedies.
  There are still far too many, far too often. In the time I have been 
speaking, two more people have been injured in a drunk driving crash. 
Every hour, another life is taken.
  We all have to say--enough is enough. We have to keep saying it--
until every single person in this country gets the message: If you 
drink, don't drive.
  Albuquerque police officer Simon Drobik spoke for all of us--when he 
said, ``Talk to your kids about drinking and driving. Share these 
tragic stories with them so they understand driving is a big 
responsibility. If you see your friend or loved one trying to get 
behind the wheel after drinking STOP THEM. Do the right thing.''
  Officer Drobik is right. We all need to do the right thing. Let's not 
wait for 10,000 more families to lose their loved ones.
  We have to keep up the fight. Nelson Mandela said, ``It always seems 
impossible--until it is done.'' We can keep drunk drivers off the road. 
It is not impossible. We can get it done.
  For the sake of all families, for those who grieve now--and for those 
who may grieve in the future--let's do all we can. Let's work together. 
Let's stop these senseless tragedies. Let's get it done.

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