Drinking and Driving Is An Enormous Problem Among College Students.
College students on campuses nationwide drink at parties and bars every single week. The problem is that a large number of these students aren’t drinking responsibly. Instead, they are drinking all night and then getting behind the wheel. In fact, according to a recent study, one in five students have admitted to driving while drunk and another 40 percent acknowledged that they have ridden with a drunk driver. The data also showed that the odds for either behavior was greater among males and that the tendency to drive under the influence rises dramatically when students reach the legal minimum drinking age of 21. These students, by driving under the influence, are not only endangering their own lives, but the lives of countless others as well. With that said, the question is can this problem be remedied, and if so, how?
What Can Be Done To Combat The Problem?
There are a number of possible solutions to combat the drinking and driving problem among college students. However, if any of these potential solutions are to be successful, there needs to be self-accountability and a concerted effort by students not to drive drunk.
Pick a designated driver.
If you are going to go out drinking, designate a driver before the night. That driver needs to not only agree to stay sober but also to keep track of his or her passengers and make sure they get home safely at the end of the night.
Arrange to sleep at your friend’s house before the night starts.
If you know you are going to be drinking at someone’s apartment talk to them about sleeping there so there is no possibility of you driving home drunk. Making that arrangement before the night starts will prevent the urge to drive home at the end of the night when you are in no condition to drive.
Call a friend to pick you up.
If you drink too much, you should never drive home. Call a friend and arrange for a ride. You can always get a ride back to your car in the morning.
Give your keys to a friend.
If you think you might feel inclined to drive later in the night then remove the keys from the equation. If you don’t have your keys, you won’t be operating your vehicle later that night. Give your keys to a friend you can trust not to let you drive home drunk.
Call a taxi.
Calling a taxi at the beginning of the night instead of driving at all can be a great option. But, even if you do drive to a party, calling a taxi is also a better option than driving yourself with your blood alcohol above the legal limit. Even if you think you can drive it is always better to err on the side of caution and call a taxi.
Conclusion
While none of the above solutions are perfect, they are all feasible options. Of course, refraining from drinking or drinking in moderation is the best solution. But, for those students who do drink more than the legal limit, they should not and cannot drive. Taking any of the measures above will greatly reduce the drinking and driving problem nationwide among college students. But the problem cannot be eliminated if students don’t make a sustained effort to combat the serious problem of drinking and driving. By taking precautions before the night starts, countless lives will be saved and the roads will be immeasurably safer.
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