Treating Victims of DUI / Impaired Driving Crashes as Crime Victims

In May 2013, OVC released the Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Final Report. The Vision 21 initiative examined the current framework of the victim assistance field in the United States. The initiative was the first comprehensive assessment of the field in nearly 15 years. The FY 2015 Vision 21 Innovation Grants: Enhancing and Transforming Services for Victims of Crime solicitation furthers the goals of Vision 21 through 8 purpose areas.

Under Purpose Area 5, Victims of Impaired Driving Crashes, the National Sheriffs' Association will collaborate with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards, and the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators to achieve 17 objectives to provide the tools and training and technical assistance to challenge and change faulty mind-sets about victims of impaired driving crashes. These objectives will work to ensure that law enforcement knows how to respond and treat these victims and to give officers the information they need about crime victimization compensation and VOCA funding to get victims the support they deserve. CA/NCF