Social Movements against Drunken Driving

Social movements to prevent and punish the concurrent behaviors of persons operating a motor vehicle and having consumed a minimum amount of alcohol comprise a rich platform for analysis of public policy about substance use and abuse. While recent concerns have emerged about driving under the influence of nonalcoholic drugs, the lack of identification technology has prevented emergence of a full-scale program for social action. Thus, in this entry, three perspectives are offered on the unique drinking/driving combination.

First, drinking and driving represents the intersection between technological change and public policy, namely the rise to dominance of the motor vehicle as a primary mode of transportation. Second, a single movement against drinking and driving, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), is an exemplar of a successful grassroots ...