Working to Prevent Even One More Death from Drunk Driving

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Beth McBride. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Sometimes, there are moments in life that become so significant that time becomes measured only as “before” and “after.” Approximately two and a half years ago, Beth McBride’s life changed in an instant when her son was killed by a drunk driver. But her “after” inspired others when she turned her grief into a mission to prevent her tragedy from repeating itself in other families with Montana Bar Fairies.

Together, with a group of volunteers, she leaves coffee shop gift cards on the windshields of cars left at bars and events to thank the owners for not driving under the influence. Her goal is to change the culture, using positive reinforcement while pushing for legislation changes. The program has proliferated across Montana and the rest of the country, garnering donations from individuals as far as England, and even an unsolicited $5,000 thank you from Jägermeister. Beth finds strength in the knowledge that people care about the issue and motivates many to do so.

What inspires you to volunteer?

My mother has always volunteered, so she taught us. She was a prison chaplain for many years. She worked for an adult special needs daycare when I was a child. They would go to the Special Olympics, and she would take us all. My mom often took in families, too. We’d come home and there would a Vietnamese family in need living with us. Or she would bring home people on Christmas.

I was raised to look after my fellow human. I’ve always volunteered in church. I’ve worked in the soup kitchen, Shepherd’s Hand—a medical clinic—and concession stands at the baseball fields when the kids played sports.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

On March 11, 2023, my son was killed by a drunk driver while celebrating his 21st birthday at a bar with friends. When it closed, they walked across the street to catch a sober ride, and he was hit. That was the darkest time of my life and my family’s life.

I could barely leave my house. My daughter, Carly, used to come over, and we would just sit together. One morning, as she drove by a local bar notorious for pumping out drunk drivers, she saw a few cars in the parking lot with the windows frosted over. And she thought, I wish there was a way to thank them for not driving home drunk.

When she got here, we started brainstorming. Why not? Why can’t you thank people? Maybe they’ll make a better decision. We put everything together and started January 1, 2024.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Montana Bar Fairies.

Our daily duties start with answering our emails and social media comments. Sometimes, we get so many comments, it’s impossible to return them all. We focus on everybody who wants to get started in their community or donate money.

My favorite part is seeing that other people care. Once we saw that this was taking off, we got our 501(c)3, and I hired a bookkeeper. We collect donations, order supplies, send out information and new kits, schedule volunteers and document their hours. We’re now in most major towns in Montana, as well as Wenatchee and Tacoma, WA, and Lake of the Ozarks, MO. Soon, we’ll launch in Cleveland, OH and Charlotte, NC.

Early Saturday or Sunday mornings, we meet at around 5:30 am with our safety vests on and go out in pairs to bar parking lots and roads where cars are parked after a night out. We leave up to 20 $5 coffee cards and victim story cards with a picture of a local victim, their name, birth and death dates on car windshields. We buy coffee cards from local places so each community we’re in has a vested interest in saving lives. On the back, they say, “Thank you for doing your part to keep our community safe by getting a sober ride. Enjoy coffee on us.” We also cover shows and events like Ladies’ Night and holiday parades.

Additionally, I track the number of people in jail for DUIs and DUI-related accidents for all the counties in Montana we’re in. It takes about an hour every day, and we post it weekly to raise awareness for the need for stronger legislation.

Is there a state doing this well? What kinds of legislative changes would you like to see?

My family lives in California. People drive drunk there, too, but the majority don’t. They have Ubers available. The fines are incredible. There’s automatic jail time long enough to know you don’t want to be there again.

I talked to one sheriff in Montana who said they just pull them over, write them a ticket and release them into the hands of a responsible party on the side of the road. We’re doing our part by using positive reinforcement, but there also has to be a deterrent factor enforced.

We brought new DUI legislation to Montana this last session and got Bobby’s Law passed. My son was outside of the crosswalk when he was struck by a man with a blood alcohol level of .20. The man was so drunk he barely remembers the night, and because my son was jaywalking in Montana, the driver was charged with misdemeanor aggravated DUI and careless driving. He spent 18 months in the county jail.

Now, if you kill someone with a blood alcohol level of .16 or higher, twice the legal limit or more, regardless of circumstance, you are inherently negligent. You’re charged with aggravated vehicular homicide while under the influence, which carries a minimum of a three-year prison sentence and increased fines.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

The goal is to do whatever it takes until it ends. We’re going to do this until people stop donating and volunteering. Until that happens, I’m committed. We have the highest number of DUI fatalities in the country, and they’re 100% avoidable.

Locally, we want a Fairy Ferry. People are begging us to add a transportation component, because we don’t have a big taxi or Uber presence here. We want people to be able to leave their car at the bar and get a free ride home.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

When you volunteer, you see the good in others, and it increases one’s sense of community. It makes you aware of and grateful for what you have and builds confidence, compassion and knowledge. Everyone should volunteer in whatever capacity they can. Help each other out.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

There hasn’t been a significant change in Montana DUI legislation since Bill Clinton had all the states use .08 blood alcohol limit or lose their federal funding for roads. Things fall into place when you work hard and your heart is in the right place. It takes faith and elbow grease. But you can do it.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Beth? Find local volunteer opportunities.