san diego madd victim impact panels

mothers against drunk driving

• san diego madd vip schedule
• impact panel contact info

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, is a powerful political activist group that makes an impactful and concerted effort to raise awareness about impaired driving, establish and enforce increasingly stricter DUI laws and sanctions, and raise funds to support and promote their cause - reduction of intoxicated driving induced injuries, and fatalities. MADD recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and is backed by large corporate sponsors such as State Farm, Nationwide Insurance, Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota, Ford Motor, and various other international organizations. One current and well-publicized MADD campaign is titled "Eliminate Drunk Driving", yet another is named "Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest".

what is a victim impact panel?

An Impact Panel typically consists of a group of three or four victims who deliver a firsthand monological account recalling the injury and trauma inflicted upon them by an impaired or intoxicated driver, or the suffrance and effects of losing a beloved relative or friend due to drunk driving.

Panels are moderated by a VIP coordinator who manages the program schedule, timing, introductions, etc. DUI offenders have no interaction or dialogue with the panel victims during the proceeding, but usually have an opportunity after the presentation to converse with the speakers and other members of MADD, if they choose.

court ordered attendance

In San Diego County, victim impact panel attendance is usually available only to first time DUI offenders. In some cases, the hours spent attending an impact panel can be credited as time served or applied toward community service fulfillment, depending on the sentencing terms outlined by the court.

Court mandated attendance is typically ordered by the presiding judge in a DUI case, but sometimes at the direction of a probation officer or miltary base commander, as well. Once sentenced, the defendant will be prescheduled by the court or other authority as to when and where to attend the Victim Panel presentation and notified of the predetermined location, date, and time both verbally and in wiriting. At the conclusion of the delivery, MADD representatives issue compliance letters to court ordered attendees. Absentees and no-shows must return to the presiding court for alternative sanctions, or sentencing.

If you fail to complete conditions of your DWI sentence or probation, including VIP attendance, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. Any attendee under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be asked to leave.

nhtsa & madd

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration works closely with MADD at the Federal level and supports the Victim Impact Panel (VIP) Program as a supplemental measure to assist in the deterrence of DUI recidivism, rather than as a substitute for incarceration, driver's license suspension and revocation, fines, or other consequential penalties of a DWI conviction.

The DUI accident victims, or those who have lost loved ones in fatal accidents, who constitute each panel's group do not take a blaming or prejudicial stance against drunk driving, but rather an educational approach to raise awareness about the dangers and potential consequences of DWI.

In a published online document pertaining to Victim Impact Panels, NHTSA states we have yet to see a decrease in recidivism in the U.S. Panels help the victims and bereaved heal, and hope to humanize the participants' experiences and views for a thought provoking and preventative determent to second and subsequent DUI offenses.

San Diego County VIP Information Hotline: 760.871.2008

san diego monthly vip schedule & contact info

Four English speaking panels and three Spanish language presentations are delivered monthly in San Diego County: