THE NOAH BENARDOUT FOUNDATION
A registered Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Corporation for the prevention of DUI tragedies.
27 March 1995 - 1 August 2019
On August 1st, 2019 my beautiful, talented brother Noah Benardout was tragically killed by the recklessness of a drunk driver. Noah was waiting on the sidewalk to cross the street when his killer drove through an intersection, at high speed, smashing into another vehicle and sending that vehicle spinning into a traffic light where Noah was waiting. Noah died instantly at the scene. At just 24 years old. A phenomenal musician, on the verge of deserved success that he had tirelessly worked toward with integrity and patience for many years as the artist LOVR®. His brand new EP, Loners was finished the day he died. He will never ever get to enjoy the benefits of his hard work but now it is my mission not only to bring his music to the world but importantly to bring awareness through music to stop DUI for ever. Join me in supporting his foundation through fundraising events to lobby for an end to DUI.
- Lily Benardout
MISSION STATEMENT
The Noah Benardout Foundation’s primary goal is to advocate immediate education and habit-forming skills for teen drivers to end the tragedies of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) which are 100% preventable.
Direct engagement with robust awareness will engage a generation of new drivers to change the narrative. The Foundation has developed three key programs that permeates education, music and the social media zeitgeist with technology, teaching and trust of the shocking reality.
We have partnered with The California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Police Department, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the California Office of Traffic and Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration among others, for rapid traction through the media ecosystem.
TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BILL
U.S. traffic deaths soar 18% in 2021 to highest first half since 2006
MORE THAN 20,160 PEOPLE KILLED BY JUNE 30.
THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE
"Decide to Ride" initiative - Anheuser-Busch, MADD & UBER
On September 14, 2021, Anheuser-Busch, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and Uber announced the launch of a groundbreaking first-of-its-kind coalition aimed at bringing an end to drunk driving. The coalition kicks off with its inaugural campaign - Decide to Ride, a new initiative focused on changing consumer behavior to prevent drunk driving.
For more information click HERE
Labor Day Weekend Statistics
SACRAMENTO, CA - September 7th, 2021 -- Despite awareness campaigns across social media platforms, PSA commercials on television, increased DUI checkpoints and constant messaging about the specific dangers of driving under the influence this past holiday weekend, the CHP have released incredibly concerning stats on the number of deaths and arrests here in California. We throw our hands up in disgust and disappointment that these tragedies continue to destroy lives everywhere. Please, take note and commit to helping stop this epidemic in California.
Fundraising Partnership Announcement
LOS ANGELES, CA. - August 24, 2021 — The Foundation is pleased to be supported by DealAid the new leader in shop and fundraise platforms. Now you can shop and save money at thousands of popular online retailers whilst DealAid donates to the Foundation at no cost to you. Watch the video below to see how it all works.
Merch Alert - CAR DECALS
Breathalyzer Giveaway Winners
LOS ANGELES, CA. - August 23, 2021 — Following a week of social media promotion we are happy to announce there are five winners of our personal breathalyzer giveaway. We are appreciative to be supported by two of the leading companies in breathalyzers - BACTrack and SentechUSA
Winners will be receiving their devices shortly and have made the commitment to end DUI tragedies.
We will be running another promotion next month so please consider entering.
The case of zero tolerance for impairment
Extract from an article on www.thenewstribune.com
Does the law allowing up to .08 BAC or 5 ng/mL for cannabis gives people the idea that driving with some substances is OK, or that we are “safe” within those limits. The question brings up a misperception that it’s OK to drive as long as your blood alcohol level (BAC) is lower than .08. The fact is that you can be impaired (and get arrested for impaired driving) well below the per se limit of .08.
Impairment isn’t a fixed line. It’s not like you’re safe to drive at .07 and drunk at .08. Studies consistently show that even at a BAC of .02, your driving can be affected. Yes, our law has some hard numbers for alcohol and cannabis, but I think some people misunderstand what they mean. It’s not that you’re legally good to drive below those levels. I often hear .08 referred to as the “legal limit,” which could imply that it’s legal to drive below it. However, it’s actually a per se limit, which means that the .08 BAC itself is confirmation of impairment without any further evidence. That’s almost the opposite of how some people understand it.
In addition to the numbers, the law states that a person is guilty of DUI if they drive while “under the influence or affected by” alcohol or other drugs. If a driver is affected by an impairing substance, that’s DUI, regardless of the percentage of substance in their system. If a driver gets arrested for DUI and blows .05, the driver doesn’t get off of the charge. The court will rely on all the other evidence of impairment collected by the investigating officer to reach a conviction.
There are no zero tolerance states in the U.S. Utah was the first (and currently only) state to pass a .05 limit, which went into effect in 2018. Other states, including Washington, have proposed similar bills, but so far have not moved from bill to law.
Globally, the majority of countries have a limit of .05, some have limits lower than that, and a few countries have true zero tolerance laws. Lower limits make sense based on the science around impairment. At a BAC of .02, alcohol begins to affect visual acuity and the ability to perform two tasks at the same time. By .05 it reduces coordination, diminishes ability to track moving objects and delays response to emergency driving situations. All this happens below the level of our current per se limit.
Do you know your ABC of BAC?
Senate Passes Bipartisan Provision for Drunk Driving Prevention Tech in All New Cars
WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 10th, 2021 — In a vote today that Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) hailed as a major step toward ending drunk driving, the U.S. Senate passed a provision in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to require lifesaving drunk driving prevention technology as standard equipment in all new cars. Click HERE to read more.
FACTS ON FACTS
HOW MANY OF THESE FACTS DO YOU KNOW?
THE U.S. SENATE DEBATES BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO ELIMINATE DRUNK DRIVING BY 2027
August 6th, 2021 - A MUST READ - Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) are spearheading this initiative. YOUR SUPPORT IS CRITICAL.
Click HERE to read.
Click HERE to support.
STREAMING NOW - THE LONERS EP
STREAMING FRIDAY JULY 30TH - THE LONERS EP
SUNDAY AUGUST 1ST - A VIGIL
To be live-streamed on the Foundation Instagram for those that cannot attend.
JULY 4TH HOLIDAY WEEKEND - MASSIVE HUMAN FAILURE ACROSS CALIFORNIA IN TERMS OF RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR
Extracted from reporting on ABC10 Sacramento - July 6, 2021
Despite everything we know, despite increased media attention, despite the demand for more responsibility after a year of pandemic turbulence, 43 people were killed in crashes this past holiday weekend with 997 busted for DUI during CHP's July 4 enforcement period.
The California Highway Patrol said they averaged one DUI arrest nearly every five minutes during their Fourth of July maximum enforcement period. The enforcement period stretched from 6:01 p.m. July 2 to 11:59 p.m. July 5.
These figures are EXTREMELY CONCERNING and indicate a 35% increase in arrests and 20% increase in fatalities from last year! In 2020, the CHP made 738 arrests for DUI of alcohol and/or drugs during the same time span when at least 36 people were killed in crashes during the enforcement period.
INDEPENDENCE DAY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
July 2nd, 2021
July 3rd, 2021
July 4th, 2021
July 5th 2021
U.S. House of Representatives passes historic provisions
to eliminate drunk driving
Extracted from The Paper, Friday July 2, 2021
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) applauds the U.S. House of Representatives on the passage of historic drunk driving prevention technology provisions as part of the INVEST in America Act. The INVEST in America Act includes the Honoring the Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate Drunk Driving (HALT) Act introduced by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell in memory of a Northville, Michigan family, Issam and Rima Abbas and their children Ali, Isabella, and Giselle, who were killed by a wrong-way drunk driver while driving home from a Florida vacation in January 2019. Representatives Kathleen Rice and David McKinley were original co-sponsors of the HALT Act of 2021, and House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky championed the bill through their committee.
“We are overwhelmed by the unwavering support of Congresswoman Dingell, who introduced legislation within a week of the crash that killed my only sister Rima, her husband Issam, and their three amazing children Ali, Isabella and Giselle,” said Rana Abbas Taylor. “Technology exists that can not only decrease, but prevent, these crashes entirely. We are so grateful for the support from Chairman Pallone, Subcommittee Chair Schakowsky, Representatives Rice and McKinley and all the members of Congress who recognize that we cannot wait any longer to end drunk driving.”
The HALT Act provisions passed today in the INVEST in America Act call for a technology-neutral rulemaking that could involve a variety of drunk driving prevention systems, including driver monitoring, which can detect signs of distracted, impaired or fatigued driving, and alcohol detection, which uses sensors to determine that a driver is under the influence of alcohol and then prevent the vehicle from moving.
“This legislation is one of the most important in MADD’s history in terms of lives that could be saved,” said MADD National President Alex Otte. “We know the technology exists to prevent drunk and impaired driving now. And we know that requiring the technology as standard safety equipment on all new cars will save 9,400 lives a year. MADD is so proud of the fierce advocates in the House of Representatives – Chairman Pallone, Subcommittee Chair Schakowsky, Representatives Dingell, McKinley and Rice – and we look forward to working with them and our champions in the Senate to help this become law.”
The HALT Act is similar to a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate by Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) on April 22. The Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone (RIDE) Act provisions became part of the Surface Transportation Investment Act that passed the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on June 16 with the critical additional support of Senators Gary Peters and Shelley Moore Capito. The bill awaits a vote by the full Senate.
Drunk driving is the leading killer on America’s roads, and the number of drunk driving deaths increased 9% in 2020 despite fewer vehicles on the road, according to preliminary estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The rulemaking called for in this bill is the most significant auto safety issue to be undertaken by NHTSA in terms of potential lives saved. More than 9,400 drunk driving deaths could be prevented each year when drunk driving prevention technology is made standard on every new car, according to a study released last year by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Americans support Congressional action to require drunk driving prevention technology as standard equipment in all new vehicles, according to a new nationwide poll conducted by Ipsos for MADD. The survey found that 9 of 10 Americans support technology that is integrated into a car’s electronics to prevent drunk driving (89% say it is a good or very good idea[1]), while 3 of 4 (77%) back Congressional action to require this technology in all new vehicles. More broadly, 8 of 10 (83%) believe that new auto safety features should be standard in vehicles as they become available, not part of optional equipment packages.Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) applauds the U.S. House of Representatives on the passage of historic drunk driving prevention technology provisions as part of the INVEST in America Act.
The INVEST in America Act includes the Honoring the Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate Drunk Driving (HALT) Act introduced by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell in memory of a Northville, Michigan family, Issam and Rima Abbas and their children Ali, Isabella, and Giselle, who were killed by a wrong-way drunk driver while driving home from a Florida vacation in January 2019. Representatives Kathleen Rice and David McKinley were original co-sponsors of the HALT Act of 2021, and House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky championed the bill through their committee.
For more information about the RIDE Act and the HALT Act and vehicle technology to stop drunk driving, please visit madd.org/HALT/RIDEAct.
Congress has the power to end drunken driving
— by getting the right technology built into cars
Extracted from an article in the Washington Post - May 28, 2021
"Congress has the power to end drunken driving by passing the Halt Act (H.R. 2138) in the House and the Ride Act (S.B. 1331) in the Senate. These bipartisan bills would mandate a rulemaking by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that would lead to a safety standard to equip all new cars with drunken-driving prevention technology. The bipartisan House bill passed last year as part of the Moving Forward Act, which was awaiting action in the Senate when the congressional session ended. Its companion bill in the Senate was likewise sponsored in a spirit of bipartisanship. Even liquor and beer industry companies are on board. Chris Swonger, the head of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, has called on Congress to swiftly pass this legislation, as has Anheuser-Busch.
Most Americans support congressional action to require this technology. A nationwide poll conducted for Mothers Against Drunk Driving by Ipsos found that 9 of 10 Americans support technology that is integrated into a car’s electronics to prevent drunken driving, while 3 of 4 back congressional action to require this technology in all new vehicles.
In addition, a 2020 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that more than 9,400 lives a year could be saved if all new vehicles had such systems. Every 52 minutes, someone in the United States dies in a drunken-driving crash, accounting for more than a quarter of highway deaths in our nation. More than 10,000 people were killedand 300,000 injured in drunken-driving crashes in 2019 alone."
27th March, 2021
LONERS
Sept 4th, 2020 - As the second most dangerous Holiday Weekend for DUI tragedies is upon us, we felt it appropriate to release "Loners", the title track of Noah's unreleased EP. With an incredible video produced by Impossible Brief, made possible with the support of Coldplay and their management, all views and proceeds will go toward ending DUI tragedies. Unthinkably DUI fatalities, injuries and arrests continue to rise in 2020 - even with the pandemic, social unrest, and a call to action for responsible behavior, better decision-making and human decency.
Please be safe, share this video and don't become another statistic this weekend. Listen on Spotify.
Together we must bring an awareness to end DUI tragedies.
2020 Initiatives
United States of Dramerica Podcast
Sept 1st, 2020 - We are pleased to have been invited to feature on this episode of United States of Dramerica, hosted by Dan Rutstein and presented with the support of our partners BACTrack and Makers Mark. Responsible drinking is the topic as Dan and Marc discuss the social stigmas of how to tell your friends not to drink and drive, the epidemic of DUI tragedies in California and the importance of using a simple and effective breathalyzer device to make the right decisions.
July 4th - LATEST DUI STATISTICS
July 4th - The Deadliest Holiday
The CHP have released figures for the July 4th Independence Day Holiday Weekend 2020.
These were the results for the maximum enforcement period that spanned just 54 hours.
738 arrests for DUI - 25% higher than 2019 which totaled 589 arrests in 72 hours. 36 fatalities - 177% higher than 2019 with 12 fataliities.
Considering we are in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic, these numbers are staggering. Disappointing. Shocking. Disgraceful.
July 4th, 2020 - the DEADLIEST holiday on our roads. Two out of three people will be directly or indirectly affected by a DUI tragedy in their lifetime and today your risk is 20% higher! Be responsible. Be accountable. These multi award-winning awareness films were released in France and directed by our dear friend and one of the world’s leading directors Bruno Aveillan. Each film highlights an aspect of road safety; alcohol, speed, distracted driving, victims and Cannabis. Unlike the USA which has the worst traffic safety records in the world, France registered their lowest fatality numbers in 2019. Watch each poignant film and decide if this July 4th is to be your last.
JULY 4TH AWARENESS
JULY 4TH AWARENESS
Road Safety Alcohol
Road Safety Victims
Road Safety Speed
Road Safety Distracted Driving
Weightless
June 24th, 2020 - The release of FARR's latest music video written by Noah's best friend Romeo Testa. An unmistakably painful and yet subliminally healing song which is the title track of their new album, WEIGHTLESS. More than just an opening statement, this is a powerful melodic eulogy. Poignantly lush vocals and heartbreaking lyrics are melded with hypnotic production by FARR’s Linden Jay for unquestionably one of the year’s better releases. The Noah Benardout Foundation thanks Roméo and Linden for dedicating this song in Noah’s memory. Listen on Spotify CLICK HERE. Watch the video below and on YouTube CLICK HERE.
Memorial Day 2020
This Memorial Day starts the second most dangerous week of the year for DUI tragedies. This Memorial Day is day 1 of the 100 Deadliest Days for Teen DUI tragedies. Now we know what it takes to flatten a curve, let’s continue this responsibility to end the DUI epidemic. Filmmakers Kyle & Carlos Plummer have created an incredibly impactful PSA for those reaching the legal age of alcohol consumption. Whatever your age, let this be a cautionary tale this Memorial Day, and EVERY DAY hereafter. Click here to watch on YouTube or simply view below. Huge thanks to artist TaiBanz for composing the music.
"I MISS YOU"
Today - March 27th, we reflect as a family, on what would have been Noah’s 25th Birthday. Whilst we live every second in the pain of his loss, we are thankful in the enormity of the music he had created. One song he wrote and produced is the demo “I MISS YOU” which we are proud to share with you all today set to a photo album of very personal photos that convey his beautiful smile and spirit. We miss you Noah.