Mother's Day is one of the hardest days of the year for me. For the 15 years of my son's short life, Mother's Day was a day full of pure joy and love. This Mother's Day, I reflect on the most tragic memory all mothers fear. In 1992, my 15 year old son Brian was suddenly and violently killed by a truck driver in Kane'ohe, just four blocks from our home. My heart was broken and our dreams as a family were instantly shattered. I was enraged when I learned that the driver who hit my son had six prior drunk-driving arrests. My anger was compounded when I learned that the driver was not tested for alcohol after the crash.

As parents, we feel an overwhelming sense and desire to protect our children. We have hopes and dreams for their future, and on a subconscious level we know from the moment we give our children life, that we must protect them from death. But sadly, a parent's ability to protect their child can be destroyed in an instant by someone who chooses to drink and drive.

At the time, I did not know if I could survive the pain of losing my only son and the anger I felt toward the criminal justice system that allowed this driver to continue to drive. In my darkest hour, I called Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) with my unanswered questions. I asked them how this man could still have a driver's license after six DUI arrests. How could he not be tested for alcohol at the crash? How could he not be held accountable for my son's death? He was still driving and I feared he was poised to take another life. Unfortunately, it was then that I learned that similar preventable tragedies happen far too often in Hawai'i.

The sobering truth is that three out of 10 Americans will be involved in a drunk-driving crash at some point in their lives. More than half of all traffic deaths in Hawai'i are caused by drunk driving. In 2005, 71 people — including 14 children and young adults under 25 — died in alcohol-related crashes in Hawai'i. That equals an average of one alcohol-related highway death every 5 days — and that does not count the hundreds of people who were injured that year.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for our country's young people from age 2 to 33 — and nearly half of those crashes are related to drunk driving. In addition to the staggering death and injury toll, drunk driving and underage drinking cost the country $167 billion every year.

As I coped with Brian's death, MADD offered me support through their victim assistance program. I found MADD comforting as they understood my pain and anger. A victim advocate accompanied me to meet with the police and prosecutors regarding the traffic accident investigation. I would not have been able to do it at that time without their support.

I joined MADD to save myself and to hopefully save others from the heartache caused by the preventable tragedy of impaired driving. MADD has helped me channel my anger in a positive direction. As a volunteer, it has been fulfilling for me to share Brian's story to students, military and at the Legislature to help strengthen anti-DUI laws. And I am deeply proud of leading the effort to build a Victim Memorial at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park in honor of the more than 1,600 drunk driving victims in Hawai'i since MADD-Hawai'i was founded 23 years ago.

I sit on the MADD National Board of Directors, and it breaks my heart to learn of the thousands of mothers across the country, just like me, who have had to bury their sons and daughters. MADD's education, prevention, enforcement and public-policy programs have helped decrease alcohol-related highway deaths in Hawai'i by nearly 50 percent over the past two decades. But our work is far from over. Alarmingly, Hawai'i's impaired driving deaths have increased over the past four years.

We can stop this growing problem through education and awareness campaigns to continuously remind the public about the consequences of impaired driving and the importance of alternatives to drinking and driving — especially the designated-driver concept. And for those who do suffer the loss of a loved one through drinking and driving, remember there is support for victims of this violent crime.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of Brian. And the tears still well up when I least expect it. My hope is that one day, no mother will have to celebrate this special day with tears in their eyes and a void in their heart.

Theresa Paulette Winn, a resident of Windward O'ahu, is former MADD Hawai'i president and a member of MADD's National Board. She wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.