College students are often told college is not only the place to excel academically, but to have fun while doing so. 

     Enjoying college and making memories is important, but it is also important to remember that some fun can have severe consequences. 

     Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death for individuals between the age of 5 and 35 and over half these deaths are caused by drunk drivers.

     Some of the consequences of driving while intoxicated include: losing your own life, killing someone else, being sent to prison, legal fees and increased insurance costs. 

     Ashley Hollins, a senior biochemistry major, said she is fully aware of just how dangerous driving drunk can be.

     “I will never drive drunk because I do not want others to have to pay for my mistakes,” Hollins said. “I was recently involved in an incident where my property was damaged by a drunk driver and even though I wasn’t hurt it was a difficult situation to deal with.”

     Drunk driving affects not only those who chose to drive drunk, but it can also affect those close to the driver. 

     Tiara Giles, a senior communication major, says she has experienced the wrath of a drunk driver first hand.

     “My aunt and uncle were hit by a drunk driver while my aunt was pregnant,” Giles said. “It had such a huge impact on our family because it caused my aunt to have her baby prematurely.”

     Tuerita Young, a senior communication major, says she hopes people realize how dangerous drunk driving can be.

     “I don’t think people understand how big of a deal it really is.” Young said. “Some people don’t take it serious because they think they are still focused and capable of thinking straight while intoxicated, but that is not the case.”

     According to Alcohol Statistics, an individual is killed every 20 minutes because of a drunk driver. 

     Males are more than twice as likely as females to reportedly drive after drinking. They also consume more alcohol before driving. 

     Drunk driving is very serious and it should be treated as such. 

     Individuals planning to drink should be sure someone is there and who will make sure the individual does not decide to drive when intoxicated.

     Every fatality caused by drunk driving is preventable, but drunk driving related deaths can only be prevented by those who drink deciding not to drive or by having that decision made for him or her.