Drunk driving is present on all college campuses across the United States, which is why it does not come as a surprise when we hear that one in five students admit to drunk driving after a night of going out. With the help of Uber and Lyft, two cheap ride service apps, drunk driving has been minimized.
The problem on UA's campus is that apps like Uber and Lyft are prohibited, leaving a small amount of alternatives for a ride other than a taxi (which cost a fortune, ranging between $30-40) or a true designated driver. The University of Alabama Student Government Association has been advocating for the return of Uber to Tuscaloosa this entire year.
The VP of Eternal Affairs, Jonathan Hess, released a video to Facebook last week addressing the transportation service issue. He commences the video by stating, "Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft will make life easier and safer for UA students," which is 100 percent true because after numerous polls taken, it is said that 80.9 percent of UA students would use a service if provided.
You can find the "Bring Ridesharing to Tuscaloosa" page here.
It is no surprise that we need more ride services, as well as more reliable means of transportation. There has been many complaints in regards to the 348-Ride (UA's late night shuttle). So after asking students their opinion on drunk driving and if it was a predominant problem here on campus, many agreed.
When asked if drunk driving was a problem on campus:
"Definitely. A lot of times people on campus end up drunk driving and don't get caught. Due to the fact that they're not belligerent, they think it is okay. UA needs more resources for night time transportation." -Ainsley LeBlanc, Junior
"I think the prevalence of drunk driving on campus is definitely higher since we don't have Uber or a service like that here in Tuscaloosa." - Molly Stepchuck, Senior
When asked if he/she has ever felt unsafe driving at night on campus:
"For example, last night when I was driving home around 12:30 a.m. a guy completely blew a red light and was swerving all over the road. Stuff like this happens all the time and it's sad that I don't feel safe driving home at times." - Torey Hadden, Junior
"Drunk driving has become a huge problem since Uber was banned. Since we live in such a small town proximity wise, people think that because they're driving a short distance that it's okay to get behind the wheel." - Arin Allbritten, Junior
Buzzed driving is drunk driving. And with the immense help from SGA's "Roll Uber" plan, we are hoping to have safe ride services coming to Tuscaloosa in the near future.
If you want to sign the petition for Uber to be present in Tuscaloosa for University of Alabama students, you can find it here.
