SADD: More Than Just Preventing Student Drunk Driving

Drunk Driver at Full Speed — Roseville, CA — Frank Penney Injury Lawyers

Read the blog from Frank Penney Injury Lawyers in Roseville, CA below.

Formerly known as Students Against Drunk Driving, S.A.D.D. began with a mission of preventing teen car accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol. The organization changed its name to Students Against Destructive Decisions in 1997 to address the vast array of issues impacting young adults today, including:

substance abuse
suicide
depression
bullying
violence
body image

Impressive Group Saves Lives

For more than 35 years, this impressive group has promoted a mission of saving lives by empowering young people to confront the risks and pressures that challenge them throughout their daily lives. Some notable accomplishments include:

receipt of the Edward G. Loveland Memorial Award
receipt of a letter of commendation from President Bill Clinton
an invitation to participate in the White House Leadership Conference on Youth, Drug Use and Violence
an invitation to a special White House event highlighting the decline in youth drug use

S.A.D.D. focuses attention on several issues that impact youth today, but their three core issues follow.

Bunch of Pills — Roseville, CA — Frank Penney Injury Lawyers

Teen Woman Using a Phone — Roseville, CA — Frank Penney Injury Lawyers

TEEN DRIVING SAFETY

S.A.D.D. supports driver’s licensing laws that establish phases for young drivers such as to permit phase, provisional phase, and unrestricted phase. They also support safety belt use, which is required by law in the state of California. One major safety issue of concern to S.A.D.D. is distracted driving, e.g. texting and driving, cell phone use, looking at something inside or outside of the vehicle, moving to music, grooming, and reaching for an object. As the number of teen car accidents due to distracted driving increases, public information about avoiding distractions becomes all the more relevant.

See our infographic on teen car accident statistics.

TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION

S.A.D.D. recognizes that teen substance abuse is neither healthy nor legal, particularly when it leads to teen driving accidents. A vast number of dangerous substances and prescription medications are easily accessible in schools, communities, and in the home.

Because alcohol-related fatality rates are twice as high for those 18-20 years of age as for those over age 21, S.A.D.D. has prioritized issues related to driving impairment. Alcohol makes a critical impact on cognitive functions such as vision, reaction time, depth perception, and judgment–made worse in children and adolescents because the brain is still developing.

Additionally, excessive alcohol consumption can be linked to risky and destructive behaviors, violence, inappropriate remarks, and potentially fatal mistakes. S.A.D.D. lobbies to pass drinking age laws that prohibit the purchase and possession of alcohol by minors by punishing adults, sellers, and servers who endanger the lives and safety of youth by supplying, purchasing, and serving alcohol.

S.A.D.D. opposes the legalization of marijuana because:

it can lead to increased use
it sends the message that marijuana is harmless
studies have conclusively shown that marijuana has an adverse impact on driving

Two large European studies found that drivers with THC in their blood were roughly twice as likely to be culpable for a fatal accident than drivers who had not used drugs or alcohol. Now that California has passed a law legalizing marijuana for adult use, it will become more important than ever to make sure teens follow the rules of the road and understand that California DUI laws encompass any mind-altering substance.

Anti Marijuana Sign — Roseville, CA — Frank Penney Injury Lawyers

Friends Talking to Each Other — Roseville, CA — Frank Penney Injury Lawyers

TEEN HEALTH & SAFETY PROMOTION

Promoting personal health and safety in teens is an important objective of S.A.D.D. In response to requests of students across the country, S.A.D.D. has started to address issues related to suicide, self-harm, depression, bullying, violence, and body image.

S.A.D.D. supports anti-violence programs in schools, which address increasingly prevalent issues such as hazing, bullying, relationship abuse, and gang activity. They also educate the public on how to recognize signs of abuse.

You Can Help Prevent Teen Car Accidents

One of S.A.D.D.’s organizational goals is to ensure that millions of teens each year benefit from their resources, and they do so by making it very easy to get involved. You can volunteer for your local chapter or start one in your community. S.A.D.D. is always looking for ways to make a positive stand on important issues facing teens and one of those ways is by educating the public.

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Temecula California Freeway Crash Leaves Four Dead, Two Injured

By Frank Penney • August 28, 2025

A devastating crash on the 15 Freeway in Temecula late Saturday night left four people dead and two others injured after a BMW M4, allegedly driven recklessly, lost control and caused a head-on collision. The California Highway Patrol reported the crash around 9:33 p.m. when the BMW, traveling north of Winchester Road, swerved left, struck a concrete median, and flew into the southbound lanes. The car veered into the far-right lane and collided head-on with a white Nissan Sentra. The BMW burst into flames moments after impact. Good Samaritans were able to pull the BMW’s driver, a 25-year-old man from Moreno Valley, from the burning vehicle. He suffered major injuries and was rushed to a hospital. Tragically, his passengers did not survive. A 23-year-old woman in the front seat and two Moreno Valley teenagers, a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl in the back, were pronounced dead at the scene. The Nissan’s driver, a 35-year-old man from Wildomar, was taken to a hospital but did not survive the trip. His passenger, a 22-year-old man, remains in critical condition. Authorities said that alcohol does not appear to have been a factor, but charges against the BMW driver are pending as investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding what they describe as reckless driving. As of Sunday afternoon, none of the victims had been publicly identified. Experience unparalleled legal representation with Frank Penney Injury Law , the esteemed recipients of the CAOC Trial Attorney of the Year award. With over two decades of dedicated service, our team has consistently delivered record-setting results for accident victims in Northern, Central, and Southern California. Enjoy peace of mind with our no upfront fees policy. Contact us today at 888-888-0566 or through our website www.penneylaw.com for a FREE consultation. Frank Penney Injury Law does not represent any of the parties mentioned above. Nevertheless, we sympathize with the victim and their families in this time of crisis.

Motorcyclist from Dixon Killed in Big Rig Crash on I-80 in Davis, California

By Frank Penney • August 27, 2025

A tragic crash on Interstate 80 in Davis claimed the life of 42-year-old Christopher Barr of Dixon early Tuesday morning. According to the California Highway Patrol, the accident happened just before 4:45 a.m. in a construction zone on the eastbound side of the freeway, just west of Mace Boulevard. CHP reported that a Volvo tractor with trailers was traveling in the middle lane when, for reasons still unknown, Barr’s Harley Davidson motorcycle failed to slow down and struck the back of the truck. The impact threw him from the motorcycle, and he was fatally struck by another vehicle that has not yet been identified. Authorities have said that alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash. The collision remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol as they work to determine what led to the fatal chain of events. Experience unparalleled legal representation with Frank Penney Injury Law , the esteemed recipients of the CAOC Trial Attorney of the Year award. With over two decades of dedicated service, our team has consistently delivered record-setting results for accident victims in Northern, Central, and Southern California. Enjoy peace of mind with our no upfront fees policy. Contact us today at 888-888-0566 or through our website www.penneylaw.com for a FREE consultation. Frank Penney Injury Law does not represent any of the parties mentioned above. Nevertheless, we sympathize with the victim and their families in this time of crisis.

Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Elk Grove, California Leaves 21-Year-Old Rider Dead

By Frank Penney • August 27, 2025

A tragic accident in Elk Grove early Friday morning claimed the life of a 21-year-old motorcyclist. According to the Elk Grove Police Department, the crash occurred around 6:15 a.m. on Elk Grove Florin Road just north of Campbell Road. Investigators reported that the driver of a pickup truck towing a trailer was attempting a U-turn into the southbound lane when the motorcycle collided with the truck’s side. The impact threw the rider from the motorcycle, and despite the quick response of medical personnel, the young motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet released the rider’s name, awaiting notification of next of kin by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office. The roadway remained closed throughout the morning as police investigated the crash, reopening to traffic around noon. The Elk Grove Police Department continues to look into the circumstances surrounding the collision and is asking anyone with information to contact their traffic bureau at 916-478-8143. Experience unparalleled legal representation with Frank Penney Injury Law , the esteemed recipients of the CAOC Trial Attorney of the Year award. With over two decades of dedicated service, our team has consistently delivered record-setting results for accident victims in Northern, Central, and Southern California. Enjoy peace of mind with our no upfront fees policy. Contact us today at 888-888-0566 or through our website www.penneylaw.com for a FREE consultation. Frank Penney Injury Law does not represent any of the parties mentioned above. Nevertheless, we sympathize with the victim and their families in this time of crisis.

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