40 Years of AAIM: Buckle Up for the Ride

The Mission of the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM) is to prevent deaths and injuries caused by chemically impaired or distracted operators of any motor vehicle or watercraft and to assist victims of these crashes in Illinois.

A seatbelt is your best line of defense in a crash. Remember that. Say it outloud. Repeat it back to yourself. A seatbelt is your best line of defense in a crash. Impaired, distracted, reckless, and drowsy driving crashes happen far too often on our roads. We cannot control the actions of other drivers, we can only educate and work to deter them from happening. In 2021, over 25% of the fatalities on Illinois roadways were those not wearing or improperly wearing a seatbelt. The devastation that comes from a crash is unimaginable. It takes less than a second to buckle a seatbelt and it can save a lifetime of grief.

Going back to 1985, AAIM worked with the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office to promote seatbelt use and bring awareness to the importance it has on saving lives. In 1997, AAIM worked with a graphic designer to create seatbelt stickers to hand out to the public with printed reminders to buckle up. With a generous donation from American Country Insurance Company, AAIM printed and distributed over 100,000 stickers to residents throughout the state.

On July 3, 2003, the primary seat belt legislation was signed into law in Illinois by then-Governor Blagojevich. This passing of this legislation allowed police officers to stop vehicles in which occupants fail to buckle up and issue citations. AAIM attended the signing of this law with local police officers and other traffic safety organizations to celebrate the lives that would be saved.

In 2002, the seat belt usage rate in Illinois was 73.8%. Since the passing of this bill, the usage rate has steadily increased and as of 2021, the usage rate is 93.5%. During this period, the Illinois Department of Transportation also focused their efforts on the Buckle Up and Click it or Ticket campaigns.

In 2000, AAIM teamed up with soccer players Kristine Lilly (1999 U.S. Women’s Soccer World Cup Team) and Debbie Keller (1998 U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team), and JJAM Session to heighten public awareness about the dangers of Intoxicated Drivers on our roads. JJAM Session was a fundraiser soccer clinic run by the Waubonsie Valley High School soccer coach and held in memory of four Naperville teens killed in DUI crashes.

A billboard showcasing the faces of the four teen girls along with the message, “God didn’t take them. A drunk driver did. Don’t drink and drive.”, was created to show the real-life impact of impaired driving. The billboard was displayed over the summer of 2000 at I-294 & Lawrence Avenue near O’Hare Airport and was displayed in Naperville during the month of December as a reminder during the holiday season to drive safely. All proceeds from the soccer clinic were used for the purchase of a billboard near O’Hare, and AAIM raised funding for the billboard in Naperville.

Jenni Anderson, Jennifer Roberts, and Alli Matzdorf, three of the girls pictured on the billboard, were killed in the 1997 Waubonsie Valley High School homecoming crash, and the fourth was Michelle Wright, a Waubonsie Valley Alumni soccer player, who was killed while attending Denver University. Kristine Lilly and Debbie Keller were deeply impacted by these crashes and did not want the lives of these young girls to be forgotten.

The Jenni Anderson Tribute

March 30, 1981 - October 17, 1997

On October 17, 1997, Jenni and her friends were preparing for homecoming weekend. Jenni was a member of Student Council at Waubonsie Valley High School and was so excited to participate in all the activities that go along with Homecoming week.

On Thursday night, Jenni’s parents reluctantly allowed her to join four other girls in the Waubonsie tradition of TP’ing the houses “hiding” the other classes' floats. The tradition of this prank took place at 3:00 am and naturally Jenni’s parents were concerned with their daughter being out so late, but knowing she was responsible and trustworthy, they agreed to let her go. After they finished the prank, two of the five girls were dropped off at home while Jenni, Alli, and Jennifer decided to meet up at the school with other kids who were out TP’ing other homes. On their way to the school, around 4:05 am, a drunk driver traveling over 75 miles per hour, ran a red light and broadsided the girls, killing all three instantly. The passenger in the other car was also killed, she was the mother of three children.

That Saturday night, Jenni was to attend her first Homecoming dance. The aura of excitement around the Anderson house came to a crashing halt the day prior. Instead of her parents answering the door to a young man waiting to pick their daughter up for her first big dance, they answered the door to a young man consoling them. He was dressed in a new suit with a boutonniere pinned to his lapel, a final gesture to the lovely girl who was to be his Homecoming date. He walked up to her casket and placed her corsage and dance ticket beside her.

Jenni’s family has a hole in their hearts without her. Jenni’s sister now has two children and her parents are left wondering how many more grandchildren they would have if on October 17, 1997 that man had made the decision not to drive impaired and had not killed their sweet, vibrant 16 year old daughter. They were given a life sentence of grief, while the man who chose to drive drunk received a sentence of 13 years, serving 4 years and 2 months.

The choices of one person impacted four families that night. Four lives were senselessly taken. DUI is not an accident, it is a choice. It is not a victimless crime. It is a decision that can and often does, impact the lives of everyone on the roads and in the community. Please, do not drive impaired.

A New Tomorrow marks 40 years for AAIM as an organization. AAIM has continued the passion of its founders to end drunk driving and assist crash victims in Illinois. To alleviate the financial burden many families experience after a crash, AAIM created a fund for families facing financial hardship. Often impaired and reckless drivers are uninsured or underinsured. AAIM’s Victim Assistance Fund helps with mortgage payments, memorial markers, utilities, and even Christmas presents for children whose parents were killed or are unable to work after the crash. These are just a few examples of the many other unforeseen expenses. The Victim Assistance Fund is largely funded by the proceeds and donations received at our annual benefit. This year, the event will take place in person at Cafe La Cave on Sunday October 23 at 11:30am. For more information, please visit our website.

Keep an eye out on AAIMs website, Facebook page, and in our monthly newsletters for more information on upcoming contests, events, and programs AAIM is hosting.

AAIM Board Members
- If you are interested in joining the AAIM Board of Directors please contact the AAIM office at 847-240-0027
Beyond Driver Education Program
- If you are interested in having AAIM present the “Beyond Driver Education” Program in your school, please contact the AAIM office or email info@aaim1.org
- This program is available in a Live or Virtual forma
AAIM’s 32nd Benefit “A New Tomorrow”
- In Person Event October 23, 2022
- https://www.aaim1.org/annual-benefit.html

If you or someone you know have been impacted by an impaired or reckless driver and need support, we invite you to visit our website for more information and resources!