mothers against drunk driving

Prom and graduation seasons are here, which means teens around the country are preparing for nights of fun and celebration. While this is a joyful time, it’s important for teens and parents to understand the dangers of underage drinking and intoxicated driving.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in America, which means preparing young adults with the safety information they need is crucial, especially this time of year when they may be tempted to make troublesome decisions like drunk driving or riding in the car with an intoxicated driver.

In fact, starting in April, when prom and graduation season begins, the number of fatal car accidents involving teenagers increases, with an average of 246 deaths per month until class begins again in late August and September.

Findings from the most recent study on young drivers by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report that 28 percent of drivers 15 to 20-years-old who were killed in car accidents had alcohol in their systems.

Many crashes involving teens happen late at night on the weekends, with 49% of teen deaths from car accidents occurring between 3 p.m. and midnight on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Knowing these facts, parents and teens need to work together to create a plan for prom night and graduation parties that encourages making the right choices and asking for help if they need it.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving said that almost half of all 10th grade students drink alcohol, so even if you don’t think your child will be drinking on prom night or after graduation, establish guidelines and discuss safe options with them just in case.

A Florida criminal defense attorney’s DUI checkpoint flyers intended to protect people from wrongful charges are cause for controversy as they may allow impaired drivers to avoid arrest.

Warren Redlich is the criminal defense attorney behind the “Fair DUI Flyer,” which is essentially a DUI checkpoint kit drivers are using to go through stops without having to roll down the window and interact with officers face to face, preventing police from perceiving slurred speech or detecting alcohol on the breath.

Law enforcement officials are questioning the legality of the Fair DUI Flyer as DUI checkpoints are legal in 38 states, and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from 1990 upheld that these types of stops do not violate constitutional search and seizure rights because they help prevent hazards caused by drunk driving.

Organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) are concerned that the flyers let impaired drivers stay on the roads, potentially causing harm to themselves and others. According to MADD, 676 people were killed in drunk-driving related accidents in Florida in 2014.

The Fair DUI Flyer reads “I remain silent, no searches and I want my lawyer,” along with a short list of state laws and a set of instructions for the driver to display their driver’s license, proof of insurance and car registration.

“It’s a method for innocent people to protect themselves from a bad DUI arrest,” Redlich told USA TODAY Network.

A YouTube video with over 2.5 million views shows a man using Redlich’s flyer at checkpoints in Florida, with the flyer and required documents in a plastic bag set outside the driver’s window for police to inspect.

In the video, Florida Highway Patrol officers observe the flyer and eventually waive the car through.

Redlich said he created the flyer because he, “was tired of defending people who were wrongfully arrested after going through checkpoints.”

The flyer is tailored to laws in 12 different states, but Redlich doesn’t recommend using them in states other than where he practices in New York and Florida without speaking to a lawyer first.

While people in Florida may have had some success with Redlich’s method, the flyer doesn’t guarantee drivers will get through checkpoints unscathed. An officer may have other reasons to give citations that have nothing to do with impaired driving, in which case the flyer says to have the officer put the ticket on the windshield.

Would you dare to use the Fair DUI Flyer?

The last time Arizona hosted the Super Bowl in 2008, a total of 10,409 DUI arrests were made and 937 traffic fatalities occurred that year. Of those deaths, 35 percent were alcohol related.

The risks associated high volumes of people in one area, such as drunk driving and other traffic concerns are lingering issues Arizona must face less than six months before it hosts Super Bowl XLIX, the nation’s largest annual sporting event.

Adjustments are being made in Arizona to accommodate the Super Bowl since Glendale may not have enough space or resources to do so on its own.

The NFL moved the NFL Experience fan event and the media headquarters from Glendale to downtown Phoenix, and notable CEOs and business executives from the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee are expected to raise $35 million to help Glendale and the University of Phoenix put on the event next year, the Phoenix Business Journal reports.

With the event expanding from Glendale to other cities, traffic and transportation safety are factors for local officials to examine.

Super Bowl Sunday ranks as one of the most dangerous times of the year for drunk driving deaths. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on that Sunday and into the following Monday, 43 percent of all traffic fatalities were caused by drunk driving in 2012, Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports.

Due to increased traffic in Glendale during the Super Bowl, drivers will need to be aware of the photo radar cameras positioned across the West Valley. These devices have caused issues for drivers who believe that certain areas have become speed traps that lack consistency when it comes to ticketing, Your West Valley reports.

Last spring, Glendale requested $2 million for public safety costs during the Super Bowl which the Arizona Legislature later rejected.

Despite the rejected request, Glendale City Councilman Gary Sherwood said that the city is ahead of schedule on its commitments to the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee for public safety and transportation, The Arizona Republic said.

In contrast, Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill believes the city isn’t doing enough.

“The city hall people really have done nothing” to support Super Bowl XLIX, Bidwill said in an interview with The Arizona Republic sports columnist Dan Bickley in August.