Our Alabama personal injury law firm cautions everyone to make safe choices behind the wheel. At college campuses, in particular, a proactive approach to safety may be needed.
Take the case of Tuscaloosa, the home of The University of Alabama. The University requires all incoming freshmen to take a mandatory sober driving instruction course. The campus also offers a ride service called 348-RIDE, which may be a way to encourage intoxicated students from driving under the influence. Unfortunately, both initiatives have not slowed a steady rise in alcohol-related offenses, including DUIs.
Some University of Alabama students hope the ride sharing service Uber could be a more effective deterrent against drunk driving. Students have been lobbying for Uber to return to the city, but stalled negotiations between Uber and the city government resulted in months of delay. Fortunately, an agreement appears to have been reached.
There may be some statistical support for the students’ position. Uber partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to study whether Uber’s launch decreased DUI rates in certain cities. The data indicated that DUI arrests of people under the age of 30 did, in fact, decrease following Uber’s arrival in those cities.
Drunk drivers can cause catastrophic accidents, leaving crash victims with serious or even fatal injuries. Certain injuries, such as brain trauma or spinal cord damage, may implicate long-term care needs. A personal injury attorney can help a drunk driving victim pursue the financial compensation that he or she will need to care for injuries while attempting to get life back in balance again.
Source: Crimson White, “Safest way home: Uber returns to Tuscaloosa,” Mike Finnegan and Peyton Shepard, Sept. 1, 2016
