DOT Announces Distracted Driving Crackdown, Orlando DUI Attorney Challenges New Measures

• 

Orlando Criminal Defense Attorney, David Katz

Talking on a cell phone while you drive is quickly becoming our new demon. And there's no doubt that it leads to a higher risk of accidents.

Washington, District of Columbia (PRWEB) June 27, 2012

United States Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a new anti-distracted driving initiative on June 7, calling for a nationwide crackdown and educational effort with pilot programs in two states. The initiative, known as the Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving, is designed to help lower the use of cell phones by drivers and reduce crashes and accidents – but leading DUI Attorney David Katz of Katz and Phillips, PA says it misses the mark.

Attorney David Katz, who specializes in distracted driving and DUI laws, says that he is concerned about how aggressively the Blueprint program plans to ticket and prosecute drivers who often don't know they're doing anything illegal.

“Talking on a cell phone while you drive is quickly becoming our new demon. And there's no doubt that it leads to a higher risk of accidents,” Katz, of Katz and Phillips P.A. law firm in Orlando, Florida, said. “But treating it as an equivalent to drunk driving is just ridiculous. The punishments are rapidly becoming way too big to fit the crime.”

The Blueprint plan includes not only legal measures and law enforcement crackdowns, but educational campaigns, especially aimed at younger drivers, and resources to help local communities start their own grassroots campaigns. But Katz says the educational side of the project is not being emphasized enough in the pilot programs, which are to be conducted in California and Delaware.

“The purpose of education is to raise awareness so people stop driving and texting in the first place,” Katz said, “But the increased ticketing will go into effect before that's even been done. A lot of people are about to be arrested for something they didn't know was risky or illegal.”

About Katz & Phillips P.A.:
Katz and Phillips P.A. is a client focused law firm. Additionally they have garnered the respect of the legal community with their long record of professionalism and success in defending clients in all types of cases. As a former Assistant State Attorney for Florida, David S. Katz studied the technology behind breathalyzer machines and was made the Intoxilyzer Specialist. James D. Phillips started his career working for abused families in Mississippi, before becoming a Florida prosecutor working at the federal and state level. Together they teach fellow lawyers how to protect their client’s rights with information about the accuracy of breathalyzer tests.

PDF Print