Obama taps MADD brass for NHTSA administration
President Obama has chosen a top MADD official to head NHTSA. NHTSA is responsible for much of the DUI regulations, and publishes the standards for field sobriety testing.
The Associated Press: Obama chooses MADD official to lead safety agency: "President Barack Obama has chosen a top official with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to lead a Transportation agency that oversees safety and fuel efficiency requirements for automakers.
Chuck Hurley was nominated Wednesday to become administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hurley, a longtime safety advocate, has served as MADD's chief executive officer since 2005 and worked for the National Safety Council and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
At MADD, Hurley urged states to adopt tougher drunken driving laws and require first-time offenders to use ignition interlock devices on their cars. The devices require drivers to blow into an instrument that measures alcohol and prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver's blood alcohol concentration exceeds a certain level.
MADD, a nonprofit organization based in Irving, Texas, was founded in 1980 and was instrumental in pushing Congress to set aside federal highway funds for anti-drunken driving efforts and to pass legislation to raise the federal minimum drinking age to 21.
The organization has received funding from several auto companies, including General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Ford Motor Co. and others. The General Motors Foundation provided MADD and MADD-related programs with $133,000 in grants in 2007, according to financial records filed with the IRS.
Obama worked with Hurley as a state senator in Illinois to strengthen the state's auto safety laws, the White House said.
Vernon Betkey, chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association, said Hurley was a 'passionate safety advocate whose career has been dedicated to reducing motor vehicle deaths and injuries.'"
NHTSA has always had an anti-DUI bent, but with Hurley at the helm, it will be interesting to see what changes come down the pike.
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Madd is destroying more lives then drunk drivers, no sense laws, no variance's. Instance: Victims, husband and wife, Husband worked hard all day, wife was to pick him up from work, he waits with co worker, has beer and pizza, not worried about beer consumption because wife is designated driver, Wife has MS and on Steroid therapy. Has reaction within 1 mile of driving, husband makes her pull over into shopping mall. She has "Roid Rage", he takes car keys and gets car away from her(being she has extra set of keys in her purse.) She's attacking car, he pulls out of her way, drives around mall, waits and decides to get her for fear she might be walking on the highway. Unfortunately she collapsed in the parking area. He Slowly looks for her head above cars, as he turns he hits something in the parking lot, it was his wife. This was an accident, they have both suffered so much. The courts made him a felon and he is now in prison. The only victims here are these people. They are losing their home cars and are so deep in debt, they will be indigent when he is freed; and as a felon he will be denied positions that he has expertise in. The punishment is too severe, he is not an alcoholic, this was a first time and there was no "intent" to drive while under the influence. No time for reason. He took the car away from her to prevent her from driving on the highway an probably prevented a worse situation.