ILLINOIS – A national ambassador with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is sharing more about MADD’s resources during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Erin Rollins stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello to share her experience with MADD and the ways the organization has helped her. Rollins was paralyzed from the waist down after she was hit by a drunk driver. She emphasized that drunk driving is a “100% preventable crime.” “MADD believes in justice, and they believe in connecting individuals to resources, and they help advocate for resources and support,” Rollins said. “For me, it was vital.” This year, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week ran from April 6–12, 2025. Rollins explained that MADD uses the week to shed light on the crime of impaired driving. Though she believes many people take drunk driving lightly, Rollins and MADD remind folks that it is a crime, and it can have devastating consequences. Rollins doesn’t remember the car crash, but she remembers “waking up in the ambulance in the worst pain of [her] life.” Since the crash in 2014, she has undergone 20 surgeries. She shared that she lost her job and had to relearn how to walk. Through all of this, MADD was beside her. The organization helped her connect with her state’s crime victims compensation program, which Rollins said was “vital” when she lost her source of income and had to shoulder over a million dollars of medical debt. They also linked her with a victim advocate, who supported her through the criminal and civil court cases against the driver who hit her. These resources helped Rollins through her experience, and she now advocates for other survivors and family members who have been affected by impaired driving. She said the experience is “uncharted waters,” and most people need help navigating it. MADD offers resources and support. But the organization is also working to prevent impaired driving crimes. As a national ambassador for MADD, Rollins advocates for the HALT Act, a law that would require all cars to have anti-drunk driving technology. This technology would act as a sensor that prevents impaired driving. Rollins compared it to a seatbelt, back-up camera or other “passive” safety feature. “It’s something that we’re really advocating for because if that was in every vehicle, then it could 100% prevent this preventable crime,” she explained. “Then people wouldn’t have to go through what I went through. They wouldn’t have to lose loved ones because somebody made a reckless and selfish decision to drink and drive.” As holidays and summer fun approaches, Rollins encourages people to drink responsibly and help their loved ones get home safely. She emphasized that MADD isn’t against drinking, but they are trying to prevent impaired driving. “People’s right to drink and drive does not supersede people’s right to live or to have bodily function,” she said. MADD offers a 24/7 support line for those who have been impacted by drunk driving. You can call 1-877-MADD-HELP (1-877-623-3435) to be connected to a MADD representative and learn more about their resources. For more information about Mothers Against Drunk Driving, their work and available resources, visit their official website at MADD.org.
