As a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, I have been reading with great interest the articles about the SIPS program. While I can see where it would appear to those drinking in the bars that they are being picked on unfairly, I just don’t see where the intent of the program is wrong. The original article title, “How Drunk is Too Drunk?” was an odd statement at best. Drunk is drunk, and when you are drunk you do not have the mental capacity to decide to drive or not. I doubt the majority of the people who drive to the bars to drink intend on leaving their vehicles there at the end of the night. I am also sure they don’t intend on getting “too drunk.” One of the other articles stated that a lot of the times the designated driver is simply the one who is least inebriated. Unfortunately, that is probably true more often than not.
Maybe if more people were ticketed earlier, there wouldn’t be those who get that phone call informing them that they have lost a loved one because some one was “too drunk to drive.”
The other thing that those complaining don’t seem to be thinking about is what can happen to them if they are in an accident and kill someone. How would those “too drunk” like to be going to prison instead of finishing their college career? Maybe the SIPS program will spare you that fate, or more importantly, save someone’s life.
Donna YoungTraining Specialist, Purchasing Services