Drinking and driving, one of the major issues associated with intoxicated individuals, is becoming much too common of a theme on our college campuses. There are often two opposing sides to the issue of drunk driving. One side says that it harmful to the community and should be put to an end. The other side says that although it is a dangerous activity, it really isn’t doing too much to affect our everyday lives. Many college students take the second stance due to the fact that they don’t witness it happening on a regular basis. Although the trail of thought leading up to this assumption is quite valid, it doesn’t mean that it is correct. In fact, drunk driving has a more solid place on college campuses than you may expect. Greenville, which has a reputation of being a major party town, is at an even higher risk for this problem. This is why it is pertinent to focus on the issue as it relates to East Carolina University and its student population. Through the reading of this essay I hope to express to you, the student body of East Carolina University, the true scope of the issue and offer you some safe and healthy alternatives. As a college student, I want you to be able to grasp the severity of the issue along with its associated risks. After considering drunk driving’s effects, its associated repercussions, and its contributing factors, I want you, as a college student, to feel empowered to keep yourself safe from engaging in drunk driving.
There are quite a few reasons for you to avoid driving after drinking and I will explain them all to you in time. Before I begin, however, I would like you to know that I understand as a college student you may have desires to drink at some point in time. That is completely understandable and everyone has his or her own reasons for doing so. In no way am I advocating against drinking. However, if you choose not to drink that is perfectly fine as well. The only way to completely get yourself out of the risk of driving drunk is to never get drunk in the first place. What I am advocating, however, is the knowledge and steps needed to prevent drunk driving.
I understand that many college students may have turned a blind-eye to the issue of drunk driving. This cannot be simply treated as proper protocol. This is especially true when it comes to an issue as severe as drunk driving, which can lead to effects that may either change a person’s life forever or end it altogether. I also understand that many college students may feel more compelled to drive drunk if they have known other people who have driven home drunk successfully with little or no consequences (Mason 564). Although the reasoning in this example is not completely inconceivable, it is most likely a result of college students just not thinking for themselves and for their own personal safety. Some day as you reach a point in maturity (which many of you most likely have reached by this time) you will stop looking at the world through other people’s eyes and start looking at it in your own perspective. What I am trying to say here is that life, as you can see, is very much real but so is death. What happens to others, both the good and the bad, can happen to you as well. It is your own personal duty to look out for yourself in order to keep yourself as safe as possible. Avoiding drunk driving is a major step in this duty.
Many college students have the notion in their minds that tragic things like accident-related fatalities only happen to other people. They are quick to assume an egocentric role by saying that they would be smart enough not to make as poor of a choice as driving while inebriated. The truth is that you are never really going to know how you are going to react in that situation until you are actually placed in it. If you are drunk, your judgment is cloudy and therefore you may not always make the decisions you would have made if you were sober. It is important that you acknowledge that the effects of drunk driving could happen to any college student.
Take Jessica Holland for example, who was affected my one of her own friend’s cloudy decision to drive drunk. A group of Jessica’s friends were all out one night drinking at one of their other friend’s party. The girl’s were all well-past wasted but they all had to get home later that night. So one of the girls decided that it would be fine if she were to just drive them all back home. It was not long after the girls began riding down the road that they became involved in a fatal accident. The alcohol coursing through the young female driver’s veins caused her not only to speed but to also have an extremely hard time controlling the vehicle. The automobile soon swerved off of the road and the vehicle tragically struck a tree at high impact. The aftermath of the crash resulted in two of the four friend’s deaths and the hospitalization of the other two, one of them the driver. Sadly, there is yet another tragic part to this story.
Now the repercussions of the young driver’s decision will always haunt her. At the time of writing this essay, the young girl who caused the accident is sitting in the hospital and still requires treatment. When she fully recovers she will have to deal with the burden of killing two of her closet friends and severely injuring another. This is a weight that she will be forced to carry on her shoulders for the rest of her life. However sad this situation may be, it could have all been circumvented if only a better decision had been made. But alas, life moves on and the only thing that we, as viewers of these kinds of circumstances, can do is learn from other people’s mistakes. In a statement Jessica explained, “Before I was affected, I looked down on drunk driving but now that I have been personally involved with an incident and have seen the pain it has caused my community, it has completely changed my mindset on the issue. While I used to look down on drunk drivers as simply being dumb and not thinking about others, I now know how tough it is. I know my friend would have never personally hurt anyone.” Jessica’s experience is just one of many similar and just as tragic stories that happen every year to individuals involved in drunk driving accidents (Holland).
To really understand how dangerous the effects of this activity are, you need to first learn of its associated threats. There is not a single problem more prevalent in the college community than drunk driving, or so it seems. On average nearly 12,000 people are killed each year in alcohol related driving incidents, a vast majority of them college students (DrinkingAndDriving.org). North Carolina is also one of the worst states for Driving Under the Influence, or DUI charges. More specifically, here in Pitt County alone, 96 out of 10,000 people are arrested for a DUI offense each year and around 7 people are killed here in Pitt County each year due to drinking and driving related accidents (DrinkingAndDriving.org). With these statistics in mind, it is obvious that this is not an issue to be dealt with lightly. If you do not see 7 people out of the around 170,000 people residing here in Pitt County as a big deal, I would like you to consider the matter on a personal level (pittcountync.gov). How would you feel if one of the people that were killed as a result of these incidents was one of your closest friends or a member of your family? While things of this manner are often tough to even think about, they are a cruel reality for the friends and family members of those lost due to drinking and driving-related accidents. So, by stepping up and making the choice not to drive drunk, you are not only making yourself safer but are also helping to create a much safer environment for the fellow members of your community.
The repercussions of drunk driving are just as serious as the effects it has on the community. At East Carolina University specifically, you will be facing serious consequences if you are caught drinking and driving. I gained a strong sense of the repercussions facing students cited as driving drunk through speaking with Dr. Maggie Olszewska, director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Her office is responsible for handling the student code of conduct here at East Carolina University. The office therefore handles students cited as driving drunk by the police and judges them based on the university’s guidelines. The first step in their review mandates that the student receive an alcohol assessment. Based upon the results of this assessment, the students can receive up to a one-year suspension from ECU. At the end of this period if the student chooses to come back to ECU they will be warned that if they are ever found to be driving drunk again, they will be suspended indefinitely from the university (Olszewska). This is definitely not a place where you want to be as a student. Especially when you are paying a great deal of money to a University in which you aren’t allowed to currently attend and may possibly never be able to gain a degree from.
Even larger repercussions come as a result of violating the law. I consulted Peter Romary, director of Student Legal Services, to get more insight on the legal aspects of the matter. Mr. Romary has served as the chief advisor to East Carolina University students for over 18 years and he undoubtedly knows the issue of drunk driving and how it relates to the students here at ECU. You may be wondering just how serious the legal charges that can be brought upon a drunk driver really are. Well first off, if you are under 21 and are found any amount of alcohol in your system, you will be charged with a Driving After Consuming (DAC). Even worse, if you blow a .08 or are found to be appreciably impaired you will be charged with a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) charge. If you happen to be less than 21 years old, chances are you will be charged with both of these indictments. These charges don’t come off easily either. Many times, a drunk driver faces over $10,000 in court fees, out of pocket expenses, and legal ramifications (Romary). Each of these indictments comes with serious penalties. If charged with a DAC, a student will lose his or her license and will experience a 90% insurance increase. If charged with a DWI, a student will lose his or her license for an even longer amount of time (oftentimes several years) and their insurance rate may be raised up to 400%. On top of all this, each of these charges will give the convicted student a criminal record for the rest of his or her life. A DWI isn’t the worst of the issue however; the chance of harming another individual is (Romary). There are many otherwise ‘good’ people who are now sitting in prison because they chose to drive drunk and ended up costing another person their life. Mr. Romary also gave some advice to help keep students away from drunk driving. He stated that it is important for students to always have a designated driver to look after them and for students to have an established backup plan to get home safely. A $10 cab ride is a lot cheaper than a $10,000 DWI. He thinks that it would be helpful to all students if they kept a cab number with them at all times. He also thinks the university buses are a great resource to use. His final word of advice to students is that if you see someone impaired, don’t be afraid to say something to them and help them out. You can end up saving that person from a lot of pain and trouble just by looking out for them (Romary). When it comes to the issue of drunk driving, the legal ramifications associated with the act are highly severe. It is because of the severity of these charges, that I encourage all students here at East Carolina University to facilitate the proper procedures to keep themselves safe and away from drunk driving.
It is easy to look at stories of drunk driving incidents and think, “why would anybody ever do this?” but the truth that persists in the matter is that it is just not that simple. There are many reasons while people choose to drive after becoming drunk. A lot of research has been put into finding out the many causes and underlying factors of drunk driving. One of the factors that has been discovered to influence the chance of driving while intoxicated is the place in which the drinking occurs. Through their investigation and trials, one group of researchers was able to determine that the average blood alcohol content (BAC) level in students tended to be higher prior to driving when the students chose to drink at a party (Talbott 69). Often times, college students tend to go to parties in environments that they aren’t completely aware of. This could be one explanation for this association. It may just be that students (who got to the party by car in the first place) see it as easier if they just drive back to where they came from. This is why I would suggest that if you have to go to a party make sure it is close, the environment is known, and you have a plan to get home at the end of the night.
There are other factors that contribute to the likelihood of drunk driving as well. Take one study for example that laid out several of the underlying influences of drunk driving in the college environment. Some of the discovered factors include alcohol expectancies, male status, sorority and fraternity affiliation, approving views on drunk driving, and medium to heavy drinking (Lac 1371). As a college student, if any of these factors apply to you then it would be suitable to prepare yourself to avoid drinking and driving because you may be at a high risk of being placed into that kind of situation. Also, it is common for college students to have alcohol expectancies and not even realize it. You may be asking “what is an alcohol expectancy?’ Well alcohol expectancies are what you may refer to as “myths” about the effects of drinking. For example, if you have a notion in your head that alcohol makes you more easygoing or that drinking makes you better at sexual performance. Alcohol expectancies are often expected positive outcomes of drinking and most of the time these expectancies are only partially true or are completely wrong altogether. Research shows that programs which help to lower the level of alcohol expectancies in students also helps to lessen those students’ likelihood to drink and drive (Lac 1371). If you are interested in lessoning your expectancies of alcohol I encourage you to try and find one of these programs near you.
Recent research has shown that commitment to conventional activities and acceptance of conventional beliefs is negatively related to drunk driving (Durkin 734). In other words, if you are more involved in an organization or group you are less likely to drink and drive. The same was found to be true of having a conventional belief system, which often helps to keep you on the right track (Durkin 734). It is important for you to put these factors into consideration. Being a part of a group and having a strong set of beliefs helps keep you connected to others and less likely to engage in risky behaviors.
As a student it is important to know if you’re at risk for drinking and driving. It is exactly those risks that a group of researchers set out to understand in their study “Sociodemographic, Behavioral, And Cognitive Predictors Of Alcohol-Impaired Driving In A Sample Of U.S. College Students.” When the results were finally charted out, they discovered factors that put college students at a higher risk of drinking and driving. Some of these factors include being age 21 or older, a high percentage of weekly alcohol use, and difficulties in achieving proper transportation (Witt 218). The last factor there is extremely important. In many cases drunken people may try to get back home with little to no luck so they turn to driving themselves.
Here are some pointers that you should consider next time you’re out. First off, it is highly necessary that you have someone with you to look out for you when you go out. This person shouldn’t be just a drinking buddy of yours but rather someone you can trust to keep you out of harms way. It would be preferable if this person doesn’t drink so that they may be your designated driver if the time comes to drive back home. Another important thing to consider is simply walking. This isn’t always the best option because if you’re underage the cops may still target you and unless you are with people you know, it can be dangerous to walk alone at night. I suggest that this be used only as a last option if no safe transport is attainable. Another thing to consider is what programs you have in your area. I know specifically of a couple of services here in Greenville that would be more that willing to assist you. If you are on campus and need assistance getting to your dorm it is a good idea to give the ECU SafeRide service a call at 252-328-RIDE (7433) and they’ll be sure to assist you (SafeRide).
Another option that I have discovered is available for people in the area is the iDrive Greenville services. iDrive Greenville, presents an excellent alternative to the dangers associated with drunk driving. They will, for a fee, drive you home for the evening in your own vehicle and then roll off into the night via a scooter that they place in your trunk. If this seems like a viable option to you I encourage you to check out their services and prices (iDrive). Ultimately, however you get home just make sure it is in the safest way possible and just know that being behind the wheels of a vehicle while intoxicated isn’t even an option.
The effects of drunk driving have, for a while now, had a devastating effect on the college experience. College should be a place where you can gain a strong education, make lifelong friends, and build a positive relationship with your community and while all of this can still be obtained, the negative effects of drunken driving cast a shadow that hurts this environment. There are a number of things that you, as a fellow member of the ECU community, can do to help yourself and others from falling prey to the snares of the issue that is drunk driving. It is important to be informed on both the statistics and proper procedures that promote the welfare of you and those around you. I hope that you now know and have considered drunk driving’s effects, its associated repercussions, and its contributing factors. Every college student has the power to make a difference in stopping drunk driving. If you can manage to become informed on the severity of the issue, dedicate yourself to your own and others’ protection, make reasonable choices, and make good use of your resources, you will be taking a positive step in the right direction of ending the issue of drunk driving here at East Carolina University.
Sources
Andrew Lac, et al. “Identifying Factors That Increase The Likelihood Of Driving After Drinking Among College Students.” Accident Analysis & Prevention 43.4 (2011): 1371-1377. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
Caren Francione Witt, et al. “Sociodemographic, Behavioral, And Cognitive Predictors Of Alcohol-Impaired Driving In A Sample Of U.S. College Students.” Journal Of Health Communication 15.2 (2010): 218-232. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
Division of Student Affairs. ECU Transit: SafeRide. East Carolina University, 17 July 2012. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.ecu.edu/transit/saferide/>.
Drinking And Driving. DrinkingAndDriving.org, 2012. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.drinkinganddriving.org/>.
Durkin, Keith F., Scott E. Wolfe, and Ross W. May. “Social Bond Theory And Drunk Driving In A Sample Of College Students.” College Student Journal 41.3 (2007): 734-744. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
Holland, Jessica. Personal interview. 27 Sept. 2012.
iDrive Greenville. N.p., 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.idrivegreenville.com/>.
Laura L. Talbott, et al. “Drinking Locations Prior To Impaired Driving Among College Students: Implications For Prevention.” Journal Of American College Health54.2 (2005): 69-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
Mason, Ashley, and Elizabeth Monk-Turner. “Factors Shaping The Decision Of College Students To Walk Or Drive Under The Influence Of Alcohol: A Test Of Rational Choice Theory.” Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 17.5 (2010): 560-572. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
Olszewska, Maggie. Telephone interview. 10 Oct. 2012.
Pitt County North Carolina. Pitt County Government, 2011. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.pittcountync.gov/about/>
Romary, Peter. Personal interview. 18 Oct. 2012.
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