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July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month. Founded by author Jacqueline Whitmore in 2002, National Cell Phone Courtesy Month was designed to make cell phone users more polite about use of the devices. National Cell Phone Courtesy Month is intended to raise awareness about the importance of not yelling into cell phones in public and not using cell phones in inappropriate public areas. However, National Cell Phone Courtesy Month can also be used to raise awareness about the dangers of cell phones use.

Only eleven states currently do not have bans on cell phone use and texting while driving, and Florida is one of these states with no prohibitions about the use of cell phones behind the wheel. While legislators have tried to pass laws banning cell phone use by drivers in recent years, however, these bills have not passed into law. In 2011, Governor Rick Scott vetoed proposed legislation which would have mandated that the Florida Division of Motor Vehicles teach drivers about the dangers of distracted driving. Municipalities and communities also cannot pass their own distracted driving laws under current Florida laws. As a result, in Florida distracted driving is not legislated and it is up to individual drivers to make the right choice to drive undistracted.

There are studies which have concluded that driving distracted can lead to accidents in the same way that drinking and driving can lead to Hollywood drunk driving accidents. In fact, the response times for distracted drivers and drunk drivers is similar, according to researchers, which is one reason why distracted drivers are more at risk for a Hollywood car accident.

Despite the wide-spread media attention about the dangers of distracted driving and despite the research, many drivers continue to drive distracted. One possible reason is that many distractions have become so commonplace that many drivers do not see the danger. Many professionals are used to speaking on a cell phone all day, so they simply carry on using their mobile devices while in the car. Many cars currently made also include touch screens, mobile device docks, and other features which can pose a distraction. In addition, many cars include technology to allow hands-free talking and dialing, so that drivers can continue to use their cell phones without having to use their hands. Unfortunately, some studies have suggested that hands-free devices are also distracting and can also lead to Hollywood traffic accidents since they still take the driver’s attention from the road.

Since it is well documented that distracted driving is dangerous and since there are no laws in Florida to prevent it, fashioning distracted driving as an issue of polite driving may make sense. In many cases, distracted driving is dangerous because it can lead to a driver cutting someone off, for example. Preventing distracted driving not only ensures that drivers are more polite on the roads – which in itself could prevent Hollywood car crashes caused by road rage – but also ensures that all drivers and pedestrians stay safer.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Until a few years ago, attorneys attempting to defend a client against drunk driving charges were general practitioners who had little, if any, understanding of the nature of the offense. They were unfamiliar with such DUI investigatory methods as field sobriety tests, and there was an almost complete lack of seminars on how to defend these clients.

Most importantly, defense lawyers were completely ignorant about the complexities of blood alcohol analysis — whether of blood, breath or urine samples. How does this "breathalyzer" work? What is "infrared analysis"? "Gas chromatography"? How is alcohol metabolized in the human body? What is "Widmark’s formula"? "Hematocrit"? What is "retrograde extrapolation" and how does that work? What physiological variables occur between individuals? What medical conditions can effect a breath reading and how? What happens if blood samples ferment or coagulate?

Chemical analysis of blood, breath or urine involved knowledge of such highly technical fields as physiology, organic chemistry, physics, biophysics, electrical engineering — subjects far beyond the experience and training of lawyers.

Then about 17 years ago, ten of the most prominent DUI defense attorneys in the country met in a hotel conference room near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.  Over the following three days they hammered out plans for a new professional organization: "The National College for DUI Defense". They created this as a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of the DUI bar, primarily through providing educational seminars, and donated their own money for initial funding.  An important secondary purpose of the organization was to address the problem of insularity in the profession — the isolation of lawyers; the College would be a tool with which attorneys across the country could share information, ideas and experiences.

I am proud to say that I was one of those ten founders, and have since served as Dean and on its Board of Regents. For each of us, the College was a true labor of love.

The first national seminar was held at Harvard Law School. It was an intense 3-day series of lectures, demonstrations and workshops, featuring a faculty of the top lawyers, scientists and forensic toxicologists in the field.

The experiment was a huge success, and has been repeated every July at Harvard for the past 16 years. In fact, the College’s governing Board of Regents soon expanded this educational effort by creating a second 3-day annual seminar in the winter. This proved another resounding success: in the recent session held in Las Vegas, there were over 500 lawyers attending from all over the country.  Other annual seminars, one focusing on blood-alcohol science exclusively, soon followed.

The National College for DUI Defense also created an internet website, along with an email discussion group where attorneys could share information and ideas. There are currently hundreds of members across the country using this forum — and discovering, for example. that what one lawyer in Texas has found effective in dealing with the effects of diabetes on breath tests can be helpful to another in Oregon.

Having provided the means to develop greater skills in this demanding field, the College next addressed the need to recognize those lawyers who had achieved the highest levels of competence. Within recent years, they began certifying attorneys as specialists in DUI defense. In order to be Board-certified, an applicant must satisfy demanding requirements of practice and trial experience, as well as pass intensive written and oral examinations.

Most recently, the College has been successful in applying to the American Bar Association for recognition of a new legal specialty: DUI defense. After considerable study, the ABA went further and recognized the National College for DUI Defense as the sole organization authorized to certify attorneys as specialists in this new field. 

Today, with headquarters in Montgomery, Alabama, the College has a membership of over 1200 attorneys across the country.  It continues to sponsor or c0-sponsor numerous national seminars annually, including the original seminar at Harvard Law School; maintain an extensive online library of legal and scientific literature related to drunk driving litigation; contribute funds and support to Supreme Court appeals involving important DUI-related legal and constitutional issues; supervise demanding ABA-approved oral and written exams of attorneys applying for certification as DUI specialists; and provide a busy online discussion forum for its 1200+ members and selected blood-alcohol scientists to share ideas, problems and solutions.

The result: if you are some day accused of this demonized offense, you are more likely to have an attorney who understands the very complex legal and scientific issues involved — in other words, you are more likely to realize your constitutional right to competent counsel and due process.
 

DUI BLOG

Via Paula Kun of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education:

In celebration of National Physical Education and Sport Week (May 1-7) and National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) wants you to know that physically active youth are healthy and ready to learn.

Academic achievement is just one of the many reasons to encourage our youth to become physically active. According to recent studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), substantial evidence suggests that physical activity can be associated with improved academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores.

Whether you are a parent, principal, superintendent, school board member, legislator or concerned citizen, you have a role to play in helping our youth become active and in making quality physical education and physical activity a reality in your local school. Check out our new initiative called Let’s Move in School to learn about ways to increase physical activity before, during and after school.

Every child deserves opportunities to be physically active. A Physically active lifestyle helps build strong bones and muscles and will decrease the likelihood of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Physical activity also promotes positive mental health, resulting in not only increased health, but happiness as well.

Century Council Blog

For National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Apolo Ohno wanted to get a quick message out to the Ask, Listen, Learn Team:

Exercise and physical activity strengthen the mind and body while helping you to maintain good health and can even help prevent injury and disease. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) children need at least 60 minutes of exercise each day and adults need at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.

The most important step is to make physical activity fun! Not everyone has a speed skating rink in their town, but you can choose any activity you enjoy whether it is walking or running, biking, swimming, or playing on a soccer or basketball team with your friends. No matter what activity you pick, remember the most important thing is to make regular physical activity part of your healthy lifestyle.

As an athlete, I know firsthand how competition can accentuate the energy and excitement that physical activity adds to a person’s life. That is why I want to take this opportunity to challenge you to get active and fit not just this month but for life. No matter what your age, background, or ability, everyone can add some regular exercise or physical activity into their daily lives to improve their mental and well-being. To learn more about saying “yes” to a healthy lifestyle and “no” to underage drinking and how other top athletes stay fit, visit www.asklistenlearn.com and commit to making healthy choices that will help you live a happy and long life.

Century Council Blog

December has been designated National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

MADD has these tips to help ensure everyone’s safety this holiday season:

•Designate a sober driver before celebrations begin.

•Never serve those under the age of 21 alcohol.

•Plan safe parties, including providing non-alcoholic drink options to guests and not serving alcohol the last hour of the gathering.

•Be prepared to get everyone home safe in case your plans or individual circumstances change.

Tie One On for Safety
Show your support for law enforcement and for MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. Tie a red ribbon on your antenna or affix your window decal as a pledge to drive safe, sober and buckled up during the holidays and throughout the year.

Red ribbons and red ribbon window decals are available by contacting our local office at (714)838-6199, Ext 15.

Give the Gift of a Designated Driver

During this time of year when drunk driving crashes are most prevalent, MADD aims to deter individuals from driving drunk and encourage them to plan ahead and designate a sober driver, or arrange another safe ride home, before embarking on their holiday festivities. MADD’s Give the Gift of a Designated Driver campaign is designed to encourage people to volunteer to be a designated sober driver for their friends and family during the holiday season.

Click Here to Download a coupon that says “Tonight I will be a DD”

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Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Orange County)

The Century Council is proud to be involved with two exciting events during National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week. Today we will attend the Department of Education’s National Meeting on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention in Higher Education.

We will observe the Ad Council’s presentation, Crafting Communications Strategies for College Binge Drinking Prevention Highlights from Recent Qualitative and Quantitative Research. This new research covers binge drinking behaviors of college drinkers and how communication campaigns might be used to reduce overconsumption of alcohol by students.

Commissioned by The Century Council, under contract with the Ad Council, the research was conducted by the independent consulting firm Egg Strategy. Check out the research on our College Binge Drinking page (PowerPoint or PDF).

During the week, we’re also hosting an educational briefing for Congressional Staff to educate attendees on this important topic and new research.

Also at the conference, Dr. David Anderson and Dr. Hugh Gusterson, of George Mason University will present the Understanding Teen Drinking Cultures in America study which was conducted by GMU and funded by The Century Council.  This national research project provides insights about teens’ choices regarding alcohol use and non-use. 

For more information on this study, please visit: http://teenalcoholcultures.gmu.edu.

Century Council Blog