Everyone knows it is true: Alcohol impairs a person's ability to drive. People who have a few drinks and then choose to get behind the wheel endanger their own lives and the lives of those around them, leading to an unnecessary risk that must be curtailed by whatever means possible.
Too often, drunk drivers get off too easy. They are able to argue their convictions down to driving while ability impaired and therefore avoid fines, license suspensions and even jail time. The legal limit for blood-alcohol content is currently .10, and judges raise the punishments accordingly as the BAC climbs above the limit. If an offender meets that BAC, however, there should be no mercy from the courts; it is never acceptable to drink and drive. The strictest punishment possible should be enforced upon those jeopardizing the lives of others.
A new law, proposed by State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, will lower the legal BAC level to .08 when it takes effect in the latter half of next year. This law, however, will only be as useful as those enforcing it make it. Policies regarding punishment must be stringent if a message is to be sent to those who drink and drive.
Drivers who are caught while drinking must get the message that their behavior is unacceptable, and the message to never do it again must be pounded into their heads.
Punishment must be consistent from the first offense to any further occurrences of a person drinking and driving; just because a driver has only been arrested once does not mean that he or she has not broken the law in the past. For drunk drivers to be removed from the streets, the penalties need to be enforced at all stages. When lives are lost because of stupidity and willful irresponsibility, it is a crime against all humanity. Those who drink must be responsible enough to know what to do (and not to do), and then accept the consequences of their actions.
While better enforcement is necessary, it is also important to take steps to prevent drinking and driving before it starts, especially on campus. There are a variety of reasons that drinking and driving is a problem in Buffalo, and Main Street's college-town atmosphere is not an excuse. While many students enjoy drinking, they also enjoy going out for food and then sleeping in their own beds, and because of Buffalo's poor public transportation, driving is often the only option students have - or so they tell themselves. If they choose to indulge, however, it is up to them to make sure that they are able to get home safely and without putting others in unnecessary and avoidable risk. If they cannot get home without driving, then they should not drink so much that they become intoxicated.
Here at UB, where the number of DWI arrests on North and South campuses has doubled since 2001, something needs to be done. Perhaps by reevaluating the late-night bus drop-off locations and times, the university could help reduce the risk of intoxicated students getting behind the wheel. At the very least, the university should determine what has changed between this year and last and develop a strategy to reduce those numbers.
The main goal, be it at UB or in New York State in general, should always be to curtail drinking and driving, and if the state has to lower the BAC level to do so, then it is a laudable step. Whether through stricter rules, better transportation options or students' responsibility, this is problem that can be solved, if all parties work together. When a driver is caught under the influence, however, punishment must be appropriate - and inescapable.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
