Velodyne Lidar, Inc. today announced it is partnering for the third year with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) on a public education initiative, focusing on the safety benefits of autonomous vehicle technology. The Velodyne and MADD partnership includes educational programs, awareness campaigns and co-sponsored events to continue to build public acceptance of autonomous technology with the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating impaired driving collisions.
To celebrate the third-year together, Natasha Thomas, MNM, Executive Director, MADD Northern California, will be the featured guest on a Velodyne Lidar LIVE! episode on August 20 at 10 a.m. PDT. During the webinar, Thomas will address the role of autonomous vehicle technology in moving towards the goal of zero deaths caused by drunk driving.
Since its founding, MADD has helped reduce the number of drunk driving deaths by half while serving nearly one million victims of this violent, preventable crime. Yet drunk driving continues to claim more than 10,000 lives every year, accounting for more deaths on the nation’s roads than any other cause. Fully autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to help prevent impaired driving and reduce collisions on roadways.
“For almost 41 years, MADD has worked to change behaviors and attitudes toward drunk driving, with a great deal of success. But we have learned that technology is essential to getting us to our goal of zero deaths caused by drunk driving,” said MADD National President Alex Otte. “Autonomous vehicle technology holds the incredible promise of helping us eliminate drunk driving. That’s why we are so excited to partner with Velodyne.”
“Velodyne and MADD share a commitment to advancing safety on our roadways,” said Sally Frykman, Chief Marketing Officer, Velodyne Lidar. “We believe that autonomous vehicles are an essential part of making our roadways safer, especially against drunk drivers. As a proud sponsor of MADD, together, we are working to educate the public on the safety benefits of autonomous vehicles so the technology realizes its full potential. ”
SOURCE: Velodyne Lidar
