Over the holiday season, San Antonio Police Department made 274 DWI arrests.
In 2010, Texas was ranked highest in people killed involving a drunken driver, placing the state above California by almost 500 fatalities with 1,259 deaths.
College students are going to drink—instead of chastising drinking, we should advocate safe drinking.
San Antonio is the fifth “drunkest city in America” according to a report by the U.S. Daily Beast. Obviously, there is a problem. While ultimately alcohol related accidents are preventable by the driver, UTSA could set an example of safe drinking by providing students with a shuttle service to keep our classmates from getting behind the wheel.
Because Texas is one of only 12 states that do not mandate DWI roadblocks, San Antonio Police Department Deputy Chief Anthony Treviño urged legislators to allow sobriety checkpoints and “make a cultural change in the state of Texas when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol,” according to the San Antonio Express-News.
However, rather than scaring intoxicated drivers off the streets by focusing on costs and consequences of DWI accidents or arrests, both UTSA and San Antonio should provide shuttles, an alternative solution, or more effective public transportation to get students home safely.
“Our challenge is to stop people from driving drunk,” Rep. Pete Gallego stated in a past legislative session. “Punishing them afterwards doesn’t bring back the victim or make the family feel better. The idea is to stop the DWI before it happens.”
Many schools have already taken the initiative. At Texas Tech, student fees pay for “Safe Ride,” a taxi service that will pick them up anywhere within the city limits of Lubbock. Further, students at the University of Texas at Austin, can ride the city busses that transport to and from bars around town at all hours, free of charge.
If we were to follow suit and offer such an alternative, it would stand as evidence that the safety of our classmates and community is, indeed, a high priority at UTSA.