Drunk driving statistics work backward at CSUF

By RYAN JONES
Special to The Collegian

In class last night, I noticed a flyer on the wall that said, “Fresno State Students avoid driving after drinking,” and then proudly displayed that “76 percent use designated drivers if they’ve been drinking.”

Wait…76 percent? That’s a statistic they’re willing to flaunt like a hot girlfriend? That’s supposed to be a good thing? Seventy-six percent sucks, and Fresno State Health and Psychological Services should re-evaluate what that really means before it let’s the roughly 21,000 people on campus see it (which would mark about 4,800 drunk drivers).

According to that statistic, if a student has been drinking on any given morning, afternoon or evening and wants to go somewhere, almost 25 percent of them are going to be driving intoxicated. That’s 24 out of every 100 drivers; that could be the driver in front of, behind or beside you.

It’s like saying that only a quarter of the people you sleep with have an STD. You’re all clear with the clean three-fourths, but you’re still 24 percent dirty. That’s not a good statistic.

Sure, it’s a majority, but it’s not an overwhelming majority, and when you think about the minority, it’s especially frightening. I don’t exactly know who to blame: the drunken drivers for being absolute morons or the administration for saying, “Yeah, 76 percent is a damn good number! Let’s plaster it in every classroom and hallway! That statistic will encourage people not to drink and drive.”