On Jan. 31, Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced the passage of an innovative bill by a unanimous vote in the Massachusetts Senate that would establish a Victims of Drunk Driving Trust Fund (S.2235). Having been earlier passed by the House unanimously, the bill, if signed by the Governor, would mandate the collection of a $50.00 payment from convicted drunk driving offenders for allocation to a fund that would provide support services to victims.Statistics show that more than 18,000 OUI offenders are convicted by the Massachusetts courts each year. The creation of a Victims of Drunk Driving Trust Fund would generate an estimated $1 million in revenue per year.
"Our system does not currently seek restitution from convicted OUI offenders to pay for victim services, but it should. The imposition of these payments serves as a reminder to offenders that drunk driving is not a victimless crime," said Matt Shedd, Chairman MADD Massachusetts.
"Every person who drives drunk poses an immediate risk to others on the road. While not every offense directly involves a victim, there are more than 200 drunk driving offenses that tragically result in death and hundreds more that result in serious injury each year in our state. We feel it is important to support the innocent victims whose lives have been forever changed due to someone else's senseless decision to drink and drive."
Said Senator Cheryl Jacques (D-Needham), the Senate sponsor, "I appreciate the strong support of my Senate colleagues in recognizing the importance of this legislation in providing necessary funding to support services to victims of drunk driving. We have all seen the tragic aftermath that drunk driving can leave in its wake, and the state should do all that it can to help the victims of this pervasive crime. I applaud Mothers Against Drunk Driving, along with victims and their families for continually advocating for laws that will make the Commonwealth a safer place."
A 1994 Northeastern University survey of 603 Massachusetts citizens showed that 94% believed Massachusetts should "make offenders pay for the injuries and losses their victims have suffered."
The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), which supports the bill, would manage the fund for the purpose of delivering these essential community-based services. Currently, there are only nine such programs in Massachusetts.
"New research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that 16,653 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes in the U.S. last year, and it is estimated that another 600,000 people were injured," said Barbara Harrington, MADD Massachusetts Executive Director. "In fact, 49% of all traffic deaths in Massachusetts are related to alcohol. This places Massachusetts ten years behind the national statistics in curbing drunk driving. The Victims of Drunk Driving Trust Fund is a step in the right direction in that it provides direct accountability of the offenders to victims."
Other key sponsors of the bill include Representative John Rogers (D-Norwood) who filed the bill on behalf of MADD and garnered unanimous bi-partisan House support for the bill last fall, Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) and Senator Cynthia Creem (D-Newton).
Once signed by the Governor, the fund would be the second of its kind in the U.S. Wyoming passed a similar law in 1999.
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