Attending a funeral for one of my closest childhood friends at the end of July was not how I imagined my final summer before starting college. My friend was simply driving home from work on his motorcycle when a driver crossed over 5 lanes on Route 114 in Massachusetts and hit and killed him. This event has changed my view on driving forever. Every time I get in the car, I worry about the other drivers on the road. What if someone were to be driving while distracted and crash into me?

Similarly, I never imagined being scared to drive a car around campus, but unfortunately that is the case after a crash on September 29. This crash involved five Sacred Heart University students and one Uber driver and occurred right next to the campus on Jefferson Street. The crash was a result of a drunk driver, who was driving 85 miles per hour and lost control.

This crash resulted in severe damage to the cars and injuries to the individuals involved, including a brain injury, a collapsed lung, broken ribs, and a dissected carotid artery, just to name a few. This crash was a wake-up call for SHU students, including myself. It serves as a reminder that a crash can happen anywhere, at any time, and to anyone. Road safety education is very important and crucial to prevent accidents like these from becoming more common.

Distracted driving comes in various forms, such as taking one’s hands off the wheel to perform a task such as eating, taking one’s eyes off the road to look at something like a GPS, or taking one’s mind off the road by being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In Connecticut in 2022, there were 5,200 car crashes attributed to distracted driving. One of the most fatal forms of distracted driving is drunk driving. About 31% of crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. In Connecticut, there were 80 people killed in 2020 due to fatal car crashes resulting from either a driver, pedestrian, or passenger being under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other medications. 

[How CT wants to combat traffic deaths: Cameras, warning lights]

Alcohol has effects that could be detrimental to one’s driving ability. At a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .02, the legal limit for individuals under 21, there is a decline in visual functions and a decline in the ability to perform two tasks at the same time. At BAC of .08, there is reduced concentration, speed control, information processing capability, muscle coordination, and impaired perception. At a BAC of .15, their vehicle control and attention to the task at hand are impaired, and visual and auditory information processing is further impaired. 

Currently, to combat drunk driving, Connecticut has a law requiring ignition interlock devices (IIDs) after a DUI incident. IIDs are devices that are installed into a car that prohibit an individual under the influence of alcohol or drugs from operating it. With an IID in place, the individual must blow into it before starting the vehicle. If any alcohol or drugs are detected, the vehicle doesn’t start.

However, some loopholes allow individuals to avoid the required implementation of this device. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has recommended in their 2023 to 2024 legislative priorities for IIDs to be mandatory for all drunk drivers for at least six months and to close the loopholes that previously allowed offenders to avoid implementing them. In Connecticut specifically, they have recommended an indigent program to be put in place to ensure that low-income offenders would have access to IIDs.

I stand with MADD in asking for these legislative priorities to be put in place in Connecticut. Reckless behavior such as drunk driving causes devastating consequences, demonstrating a complete disregard for human life and safety. With these legislative priorities, we can potentially prevent tragic incidents like the one that took my friend’s life and the September 29 crash at Sacred Heart University from happening again.

These priorities will create a safer environment, deter potential offenders, and save countless lives. 

Emily Marshall is a senior at Sacred Heart University, majoring in Health Science with a Public Health concentration and a minor in Psychology.