In a convincing display of what can happen when people drink and drive, Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, in cooperation with Marge Lee, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Long Island, have displayed a crashed car at the heavily traveled intersection of Sunrise Highway and Broadway in Massapequa.

"We hope everyone will remember that alcohol impairs judgement and not to drink and drive," said Lee. "Drunk driving is not an accident, it's a choice."

"In the past 10 years, nearly 1,000 Long Islanders have lost their lives due to alcohol related crashes," said Fuschillo, member of the Senate Transportation Committee. "I am pleased to be working with MADD and Supervisor Venditto to get the message to drivers that drinking and driving is a deadly mix."

"It is our hope that the hundreds of thousands of people who travel this roadway see the crashed car and read the sign reminding them not to drink and drive, will think twice about the dangers of mixing alcohol with their car keys," Venditto said. "Too many people die on our roads and highways and this anti-DWI message will help get the point across that drinking and driving kills."

The National Safety Council reported in 1999 that in the US, alcohol/drug related traffic crashes claimed 16,020 lives and resulted in approximately 630,000 injuries. In 2000 on Long Island, 90 people lost their lives in alcohol/drug related crashes, only one less than the 91 fatalities reported for 1999.

In cooperation with Ogden Bros. Collision of Freeport, the crashed car and anti-DWI message is being located throughout the Senator's district.

Fuschillo has been on the forefront of the fight against DWI. He recently supported MADD Long Island by securing a $100,000 New York State Senate grant to help fund the Garden of Awareness Victims Memorial to be constructed on the campus of SUNY Farmingdale. Fuschillo has also been leading the fight in the NYS Legislature to change the state's blood alcohol content (BAC) level from .10 to .08.