MADD Urges Drivers to Plan Ahead and Never Drive Impaired This Thanksgiving Holiday, One of the Busiest and Most Dangerous Times of Year on the Roads

MADD launches the second year of "Take a Minute. Make a Plan." campaign with Diageo to highlight the importance of holiday road safety

ARLINGTON, Texas, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving^® (MADD) urges drivers to make safety a priority this holiday season, as millions of Americans gear up for Thanksgiving gatherings and "Blackout Wednesday" celebrations on Thanksgiving Eve, an increasingly popular night for drinking. 

"Every Thanksgiving, we pause to reflect on what matters most, and that includes the safety of every person traveling to be with the ones they love," said MADD CEO Stacey D. Stewart. "Planning a safe ride home before holiday celebrations begin is a simple action everyone can take to prevent impaired driving crashes, save lives and protect entire communities."

This month also marks the continued activation of "Take a Minute. Make a Plan. Never Drive Impaired," an impaired driving prevention campaign created together by MADD and Diageo North America, with support from the NFL and Uber. Inspired by the rituals of NFL fans across the nation, the initiative aims to spread the message: Whether you're watching games in-stadium, at a bar, or at a friend's house, all it takes is one minute to make a plan to never drive impaired. 

"We are thrilled to continue partnering with MADD for this year's 'Take a Minute. Make a Plan.' campaign alongside the NFL and Uber," said Stephanie Childs, Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations, Diageo North America. "We are proud of the work we are doing together to help make communities safer by encouraging football fans to bring the same dedication they have for their teams to the fight against impaired driving."

As MADD reflects on reasons to be thankful this season, the organization is also celebrating progress made through the HALT Drunk Driving Law, passed in 2021. The law requires anti-drunk driving technology to be installed in all new vehicles. Once implemented, it is expected to save more than 10,000 lives annually and prevent hundreds of thousands of injuries, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"A future free of impaired driving crashes is near, and it's rooted in technology that will stop impaired drivers before they even hit the road," Stewart added. "This Thanksgiving, we're grateful for the strides made toward safer roads and the opportunity for greater progress ahead."

MADD encourages everyone to celebrate responsibly and never drive impaired. Together, we can put an end to impaired driving for good and make this holiday season a time of gratitude and safety.

About MADD

Mothers Against Drunk Driving^® (MADD) is a national nonprofit leading the movement to end impaired driving for good. Since 1980, MADD has helped reduce drunk driving deaths in America by nearly 40%, saved more than 475,000 lives, and served more than one million victims and survivors. The organization is committed to leading prevention efforts with young adults, collaborating with law enforcement to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers, and advocating for stronger laws—including the HALT Act, which mandates anti-drunk driving technology in every new car. MADD also provides support services to victims and survivors of impaired driving at no charge through victim advocates and its 24-Hour Victim Help Line, 1-877-MADD-HELP.

Learn more or donate at https://madd.org and follow MADD on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

SOURCE Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)