Center for Health Communication

Tag: Massachusetts

The tragic death of a Boston reporter at the hands of a drunk driver spurred the Designated Driver concept in the United States

November 30, 2018 — WBZ-TV (Boston): “We all know the term ‘designated driver,’ it’s part of our culture, and the concept has saved countless lives. But did you know the American version began right here 30 years ago? And by ‘right here’ we mean Massachusetts…It was born out of a tragedy…in November of 1985…a horrible crash…left WBZ-TV reporter Dennis Kauff barely clinging to life…A few days later Kauff died. ‘There wouldn’t have been a designated driver campaign were it not for the tragic death at the hands of a drunk driver. The death of Dennis Kauff,’ said Dr. Jay Winsten. After learning about Kauff’s death, Winsten…had an idea … Continue reading

‘It’s up to the common sense of jurors’

September 19, 2017 — The Boston Globe: “Under a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts police officers can no longer cite their subjective on-scene observations or sobriety tests to conclude in court testimony that a driver was under the influence of marijuana…the court found there is no scientific consensus those tests definitively prove … Continue reading “‘It’s up to the common sense of jurors’”