This year, one person will die every 50 minutes in an alcohol-related crash in the U.S.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,839 people will be killed as a result of drunk driving.
At UB, many departments survey students on their habits, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding alcohol consumption. Department administrators use the results to measure what they are up against in the campaign to stop drinking and driving while also giving them information on how to positively influence student decisions on alcohol. These surveys also give the student body a better understanding of its peers' feelings towards alcohol.
"Society has drilled the fact into our heads that drinking and driving is wrong," said Marla McBride, assistant director at Wellness Education Services. "[Many students] have a false sense of security that if they are drinking and not driving, nothing bad will happen. It is important [for the Wellness Center] to educate on the other dangers associated with drinking as well as the driving aspect."
The Wellness Center incorporates drinking and driving prevention into other programs that focus on the dangers of alcohol poisoning, women and alcohol, and the dangers of drinking games and pre-gaming.
Over the past five years, DWI arrests by the University Police Department have steadily increased. In 2005, records indicate that 30 people were charged with a DWI, rising to 61 in 2008. In 2010, 61 students were charged.
Although most UB surveys focus on drinking in general with only several questions about drinking and driving, The Spectrum recently approached 100 students at random to ask for their thoughts on drinking and driving.
The majority of students have not been behind the wheel after a drink, but know people who have. Students who have been personally affected by a drunk-driving incident were in the minority; 39 knew someone who had been seriously injured or killed.
Student perspectives on drinking provide critical information to departments studying perceptions about alcohol use, and allow the development of programs that can better serve student needs.
All freshmen entering the university are required to complete an online Alcohol EDU assessment, which is a self-reported survey that allows university administrators to observe students' attitudes and beliefs about drinking before they enter UB.
Results of a survey by the National College Health Assessment found that 84 percent of the students who admitted to drinking reported using a designated driver the last time they partied or socialized.
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