FAX them to us at (518) 370-4917 giving your FAX and voice phone numbers; or E-mail them to RID-USA Headquarters. For a quote on expediting call us at (518) 372-0034.
Webmaster Michael J. Lutz, RID-USA Michigan
National Office
P.O. Box 520
Schenectady, NY 12301
Doris Aiken President
Hello! You are now in the home-headquarters of RID (Remove Intoxicated
drivers), the oldest anti-DWI national organization in the U.S. formed
in 1978 in Schenectady, NY by Doris Aiken, current president. RID began
its effective battle against drunk driving after the deaths of Karen and
Timothy Morris, 17 and 19, caused by an intoxicated 22 year old on Dec.
4, 1977. RID's mission then and now is to deter impaired driving, and teen
binge drinking that often leads to intense trauma for all concerned. We
are advocates for victims, enablers of tough laws, and watchdogs for law
enforcement and adjudication in the courts. We educate the public about
the impact of abusive alcohol use on life and health with materials, public
awareness campaigns, and intense media interactions.
We depend heavily on volunteers, have no paid workers in the field, and
do not hire professional fundraisers. With the six-room headquarters office
donated, over 90% of all funds are spent on program, and less than 10%
on administration and fund raising.
RID volunteers monitor courts with the help of local members and publishes the results. RID rates the states as to their effectiveness in deterring drunk driving fatalities and publishes the results. We rate legislators' activity on both State and National levels amd publish our results in our national newsletter and the national and state-wide press. RID maintains a victims' Helpline, aids local activists to form effective anti-DWI chapters and programs, helps victims in the court maze during hearings, trials, sentencings, parole and probation events, issues bulletins to RID leaders on current calls to action, holds regional conferences on drunk driving, teen binge drinking, seatbelts enforcement and other safety subjects. RID has been awarded Friend of the Court Status in U.S. Supreme Court and County and State Appeals courts, submitting Amicus Curiae briefs on behalf of victms' rights.
Uniquely among all the other national anti-DWI groups, RID has never accepted funding from the alcohol industry or other special interests that do not support the goals of RID. Over 90% of all funds are spent on programs, less than 10% on administration and fund raising. We engage in no professional fund raising. RID exists solely to deter drunking driving, the binge drinking that precedes it, and to help victims regain hope and justice in their lives.
In the decade between 1980 and 1990, 6250 motorists did not die on N.Y.s highways due to the many tough laws initiated and enabled by RID, such as severely limiting plea bargaining to non-alcohol offenses such as reckless driving, bad or bald tires, raising the penalties for repeat offenders and placing STOP-DWI programs in every County, funded by the fines of drunken drivers. Alcohol-related highway deaths fell 23% by 1985 in New York, 14% in the nation and 12% in California as the rest of the Nation heard the drumbeat of drunk driving reform in New York, a model for the nation. A 1996 rating of the States by RID based on the per cent of road fatalities where the drivers had blood alcohol levels over .10% indicated that New York and Utah were the only States to attain A ratings for three consecutive years. This meant that under 25% of these fatalities were delivered by legally intoxicated drivers, compared to 44% in Texas and 41% in New Mexico. While a large portion of the population in Utah doesn't drink alcohol. coffee or tea, and is not heavily populated, New York has a huge driving population, bars that can stay open until 4 a.m. and re-open at 8 a.m., and is historically one of the most liberal States in terms of rights of defendants and civil liberties. RID is proud to have led New York to first place in deterring the % of fatalities due to drunken driving.
RID Chapters are autonomous: at least 90%of the funds they raise stay in the community where they are raised. Chapters may become tax exempt non-profit organizations, or they can choose not to. Local groups know the problem areas in their communities. They are free to set their own programs and priorities. Rid leaders in the field are volunteers: there are no paid state or county coordinators. They may apply for grants for local projects, and obtain honorariums if the funds are available. RID does not employ professional lobbyists, or professional fund raisers and has no special interests on it's national or local boards. RID-USA accepts tax exempt contributions from victims, memorial donations, foundations, private sector, and government safety & amp; health commissions. RID carries no advertisements in our newsletter or bulletins. RID membership is open to the public. Governing Boards are independent of special interests, so do not have elected or appointed officials on them. They can be advisory board members or local chapter members.
RID membership is $20 and includes the RID Action Newsletter. Seniors, Students, $10. Checks should be mailed to RID-USA, P.O. Box 520, Schenectady, NY 12301. For more information about RID send a self-addressed stamped envelope with .55 cent postage.
In 1992 RID persuaded Maury Povich to present the nation's first national
TV talk show on teenage binge drinking and alcohol poisoning. RID provided
the victims and the teenage studio audience. The flood of calls to RID
following the airing of the show in December told us that the public
was completely in the dark about alcohol poisoning , that lives could
be saved by taking victims to the emergency room instead of putting them
to bed, better still by avoiding binge drinking altogether. Each of the
victims' families that contacted us felt if they had known about alcohol
poisoning, their child would probably still be alive today.
Released in June 1996, "Without Warning" took RID four years
to bring together the parents of youth who had died due to alcohol poisoning.
The lovely youths seen in the video are victims of a total lack of knowledge
about the lethal effects of chugging alcohol.
Alcohol overdosing, the cause of such deaths, is rarely publicized but
is all too common in youths under 21, conservatively estimated at 4,000
annually. The stories in this video told by the surviving family members
are moving, unforgettable and instructive. 17 minutes running time for
the video leaves ample time for discussion.
Working with these victims since 1992, RID has helped to uncover shocking
information about the trauma of teenage alcohol poisoning. More youths
die overdosing on alcohol than in alcohol-related DWI crashes. And, as
parents tell us and the video vividly shows, it happens without any warning.
This video, funded in part by a grant from Farmers' Insurance Group, shows
the heartfelt need for useful information, supported by a discussion guide
and questionnaire.
Users in the field have been voicing their satisfaction. Eileen O'Connell,
the Senior Counselor and Clinical Supervisor of the Adolescent Chemical
Dependency Program conducted by the Fairview University Medical Center
at five clinics in the Minneapolis area, says. "The length is perfect
- long enough to give a lot of important information and short enough to
maintain their interest, leading to tremendous discussions." Bullseye!
She adds they use the video with their clients' parents and siblings as
well.
Teachers in Health and in Drivers' Ed classes provide similar reports.
Gwen Stephens teaches in Wisconsin. She writes, "I can't thank
you enough for the film 'Without Warning.' I showed it to my high school
driver education students today and the room was silent when the film ended!
The discussion afterwards was excellent. It really hit home for a lot of
kids, .... It will be incorporated into both the middle and high school
programs. I believe that this video and support material will make a difference.
Thanks so much,
Gwen Stephens, Health and Driver's Ed instructor
Bill Cullinane Director of SADD sums it up: "This video is a documentary
piece that should be a crucial element in any prevention program. RID has
taken an issue that far too long remained on the back burner and placed
it in the spotlight."
William F. Cullinane,
President and Executive Director, National SADD
And our government lends encouragement:"Your video was reviewed
and found to be scientifically accurate, in conformance with public health
principles and policies, and appropriate for the intended audience. It
has been added to the Prevention Materials Data Base. ... You are to be
congratulated for producing this important product."
Luisa del C. Pollard, MA., Director
National Clearing house for Alcohol
and Drug Information, of the
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services
Some school districts are purchasing fifteen to twenty copies of the tape
on the basis that stocking one in each high and middle school will encourage
their regular use.
In June, 1996 we decided to try out using "Without Warning "
as the first segment of a Victims Impact Panel for defendant drunk drivers.
That is, the video would be shown followed by two victims of impaired drivers
telling their stories, in place of our usual practice of hearing from three
victims.
The audiences contain drivers of both genders and all ages from fifteen
to over eighty.
Arguments in favor were: it contains vital, basic information which shoul
be of interest to everyone. It may discourage teenage binge drinking, in
which case there will be fewer drunk drivers on the road. If we are short
of willing victims or are wearing them down, it will extend our resources
and let us fill our panels without making so many requests of the victims.
Arguments against the idea were: the video says nothing about drunk driving.
Our victims might feel that it is blocking out one third of their message.
We decided to try it and added a sentence to the evaluation sheets inviting
a comment on the video.
The results have been an unqualified success. Seven counties that we know
of have adopted the practice and we have thousands of evaluation sheets,
overwhelmingly positive. "I want my daughter to see this."
"Show this in the schools." "I learned more about alcohol
than I have in fifty years of drinking. "
The victims like it. They tell us it establishes the non-confrontational
atmosphere they want to project.
Other potential applications of the video are: college campuses (Freshman
orientation), training programs for bar tenders, training programs for
convenience store clerks, and training programs for the ploice. While the
olice have a person under arrest, they are responsible for his/her medical
care, and should know the symptoms of alcohol poisoning.
As much as anybody, parents need to see this video. Parents who let their
teenagers have beer parties' at home where they'll be safe need a rousing
wake-up call.
RID members and their associates wanting more information about the video should contact RID Headquarters.
Kinetic Inc.
255 Delaware Ave.
Suite 340
Buffalo NY 14202
Tel: (716) 856-7631
FAX: (716) 856-7838
Human Relations Media
175 Thompkins Avenue
Pleasantville NY 10570
Tel: (800) 431-2050
Fax: (914) 747-0839
Others with questions, mail them to us at the above address; or
FAX them to us at (518) 370-4917 giving your FAX and voice phone numbers;
or E-mail them to RID-USA Headquarters.
For a quote on expediting call us at (518) 372-0034.
Webmaster Michael J. Lutz, RID-USA Michigan
Last Updated: 12-21-97