AAA, MADD and Waymo Remind Drivers to Plan Sober Rides During the Holidays
Walnut Creek, CA (December 1, 2025) - December is historically a dangerous time on the road, according to the National Highway Safety Administration. Between 2019-2023, 4,931 people were killed due to drunk driving during the month of December, with 1,038 alcohol-related fatalities occurring in December 2023 alone. In recognition of Impaired Driving Prevention Month, AAA is joining forces with Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) and Waymo in a collaborative effort to combat this issue, urging drivers and families to prioritize safety by planning a sober drive home this holiday season.
“Impaired driving is a preventable crisis, and AAA remains dedicated to helping turn the tide to make roads safer,” said Doug Johnson, spokesperson, AAA Mountain West Group. “Lives are on the line, and together with MADD, we are committed to saving them.”
Fast facts and sobering statistics
- Drunk driving crashes killed more than 13,000 people in the U.S. in 2023, marking the second year in a row this deadly threshold was crossed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- The impaired driving crisis is worsening nationwide, and drunk driving deaths have increased by 22% since 2019.
- This means that roughly every 85 seconds, someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash.
- The HALT Drunk Driving Law, passed in 2021, requires all new passenger vehicles to be equipped with advanced-impaired driving prevention technology, which is expected to save more than 10,000 lives per year.
“Ending impaired driving requires a collective movement, with each of us playing a part,” said Stacey D. Stewart, CEO of MADD. “AAA’s commitment to road safety and Waymo’s tech-forward approach align nicely with MADD’s mission to put an end to impaired driving for good, and we’re thrilled to join forces with both companies in our relentless march towards this purpose.”
AAA and MADD’s partnership stretches beyond Impaired Driving Prevention Month, marking the beginning of a larger joint effort to reduce impaired driving deaths by 20% in the next five years.
As part of its partnership with MADD, Waymo is offering a $5 ride discount for the first 2,500 redemptions of the code, “SAFEHOLIDAYS”. This discount will be valid now through New Year’s Eve in all current Waymo owned and operated markets: San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
“We are thrilled to partner with MADD in a shared commitment to keeping our roads safe,” said Tekedra Mawakan, Co-CEO of Waymo. “Waymo is proud to help further the fight against impaired driving by raising awareness and providing safe rides home through our fully autonomous vehicles, which are designed with multiple safety features to protect passengers and everyone on the roads.”
About AAA Mountain West Group
AAA Mountain West Group is a membership and full-service leisure travel organization, proudly serving over 6.7 million Members across Northern California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska. AAA delivers unmatched expertise and value through roadside assistance and electric vehicle (EV) resources, along with comprehensive auto repair, travel, insurance, financial, and home security services. Powered by 5,300 dedicated Team Members, AAA is on a mission to revolutionize solutions that help our Members.
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 more than 40%, saved nearly 500,000 lives, and served nearly 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, as well as advocating for stricter sentencing and stronger laws, including the HALT Drunk Driving Law that mandates anti-drunk driving technology in every new car. MADD continues to provide support services to victims and survivors of impaired driving at no charge through victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. For more information or to donate, visit https://madd.org/ and follow MADD on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About Waymo
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world’s most trusted driver. Since our start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver—The World's Most Experienced Driver™—to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hailing service provides hundreds of thousands of rides every week in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta, and the data shows Waymo’s technology is involved in five times fewer injury-causing collisions in these cities compared to human drivers. The Waymo Driver has autonomously driven over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.