Originally written and published by Sarah Teague for The Standard on April 18, 2016. Click here to be directed to the original posting.
On April 8 the Springfield Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol conducted a sobriety checkpoint at Jefferson Avenue and Harrison Street.
A total of 590 motorists crossed the checkpoint in a four hour period.
According to a release on April 9 by the SPD, “Fifteen drivers were arrested for driving while intoxicated, five for driving while suspended, two for misdemeanor warrants, and six for misdemeanor drug offenses.”
“The most obvious and serious consequence of drunk or buzzed driving is death,” Cox said. “Killing yourself or a passenger, or killing an innocent driver … or even pedestrian who is sharing the roadway is the worst consequence of them all, and unfortunately it happens far too often.”
There are obviously other consequences besides death for drinking while impaired.
“Along those same lines, you may significantly injure yourself or others,” Cox said. “If drivers are arrested for impaired driving, they face possible consequences of jail time, loss of driving privileges, mandated use of ignition interlock systems, increased insurance rates, attorney fees and court costs.”
An impaired driver’s job may be affected as well. A conviction on your record, according to Cox, can limit career possibilities.
However, with modern technology comes new advances and ideas in preventing these situations. New phone apps are being invented, like Uber and SaferRide, to give users options other than getting in their vehicle after a night at the bar.
Uber will connect you with a driver through the app; Uber has been recruiting drivers in Springfield already.
The founders of these apps know if a user is not sober enough to drive, they also won’t be able to navigate a complex phone app, so this is the idea behind the simple interface.
“From a drunk driving prevention standpoint, I think these are great developments,” Cox said. “Any effort to keep impaired people from getting behind the wheel has great benefit. We still encourage people to use common sense and reputable services and drivers so they don’t end up in a different kind of bad situation.”
Cox encourages students to plan ahead of time if they know they will need a ride and to already have numbers of friends or other transportation on speed dial. By adding these details into the planning process, students are more likely to get home safely.
“I know sometimes college students are on very tight budgets,” Cox said. “But, if you can spend the money to go out for drinks, you really need to set some of the money aside to make sure you can safely get home. It’s so incredibly important.”
