The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) recently selected North Dakota’s “The Empty Dinner Party” project First Place in the Display Category for their annual competition.

The objectives of “The Empty Dinner Party” are to communicate the loss of family members—in a very visual way—to the media. These community dinner “parties” included setting up of empty place settings to represent those who have perished in alcohol-related traffic crashes. The events were held in December 2005 to emphasize losses from the previous year.

State officials explained the symbolism in kicking off the project. “This year, due to alcohol-related crash fatalities in 2004, there is one less place set at 38 family tables this holiday season,” said Marsha Lembke, director, North Dakota Department of Transportation Office of Drivers License & Traffic Safety.

The events received statewide media attention, carrying the message to nearly every household in North Dakota.

Carol Thurn, ND-DOT Program Manager, nominated the project as a way to bring recognition to the state’s communities for their collaborative efforts at increasing awareness of passenger safety issues, statewide. North Dakota edged out competition from across Region III—which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin—before competing on the International level, represented by regions in Canada and the United States.

The Region III award will be presented in Omaha, Nebraska in July, with the International award given in Burlington, Vermont in August. Keith Magnusson, for Driver and Vehicle Services at ND-DOT, will be accepting the awards for North Dakota.

Partnering with ND-DOT in “The Empty Dinner Party” project included Safe Communities programs from Region I, Three Affiliated Tribes, Minot, Region III, Grand Forks, Fargo, Traill County, Richland County, Jamestown, Region VIII, and Region VII.

To learn more about “The Empty Dinner Party” project, read the following SafeCommunities.org articles:

Kick-Off to DUI Campaign Graphically Illustrates Loss of Life with Empty Dinner Tables

Empty Dinner Party power point presentation