2008 Woodie Awards
University of Chicago's "Drunk Van" Smells Bad But Saves Lives
Samantha Marsh
Issue date: 11/6/06 Section: Opinions
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The University of Chicago calls it the Late-Night Van Service. The students call it the "drunk van". While the former is undoubtedly more suited for a University public relations press release, "the drunk van" is probably a more accurate description of the late night mass transit option provided by the University to its students. The University's independent newspaper The Maroon calls the drunk van "a well-utilized and well-loved program of the College".
This program consists of two vans which are on call between midnight and four a.m. on school nights and between midnight and six a.m. on weekends. Any University of Chicago student can call during these hours and be picked up at their exact address, providing they show their student card.
The van's purpose is to provide safe transportation to the campus so that students can avoid walking through dangerous downtown areas like Hyde Park. But as the name implies the van also provides a very important service to its mostly inebriated clientele; it keeps them off the road.
Issues with alcohol are unfortunate and seemingly inevitable challenges that face every college in the nation. Problems with underage drinking, binging, and drunk driving are all too familiar to colleges endeavoring to keep their students safe. It is therefore commendable that the University of Chicago is taking a practical step towards addressing one of the most tragic consequences of alcohol consumption.
Despite various social efforts to curtail drunk driving, it is not always easy to find oneself a designated driver. And it is a fact that young people are dieing, and killing others, in drunk driving accidents. In 2005, 16-24 year olds accounted for forty-eight percent of inebriated drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents. The "drunk van" offers a much safer option to drunken college students who might otherwise drive home to avoid walking.
Critics of the drunk van complain that it facilitates underage drinking. Yet the van's purpose is not to serve underage drinkers exclusively. Both an eighteen year old and a twenty-one year old theoretically have equal access to a car.
This program consists of two vans which are on call between midnight and four a.m. on school nights and between midnight and six a.m. on weekends. Any University of Chicago student can call during these hours and be picked up at their exact address, providing they show their student card.
The van's purpose is to provide safe transportation to the campus so that students can avoid walking through dangerous downtown areas like Hyde Park. But as the name implies the van also provides a very important service to its mostly inebriated clientele; it keeps them off the road.
Issues with alcohol are unfortunate and seemingly inevitable challenges that face every college in the nation. Problems with underage drinking, binging, and drunk driving are all too familiar to colleges endeavoring to keep their students safe. It is therefore commendable that the University of Chicago is taking a practical step towards addressing one of the most tragic consequences of alcohol consumption.
Despite various social efforts to curtail drunk driving, it is not always easy to find oneself a designated driver. And it is a fact that young people are dieing, and killing others, in drunk driving accidents. In 2005, 16-24 year olds accounted for forty-eight percent of inebriated drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents. The "drunk van" offers a much safer option to drunken college students who might otherwise drive home to avoid walking.
Critics of the drunk van complain that it facilitates underage drinking. Yet the van's purpose is not to serve underage drinkers exclusively. Both an eighteen year old and a twenty-one year old theoretically have equal access to a car.
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