Student DWI rate returns to normal

DWI violations among students have not increased since an unusually large streak of four arrests in September. Though DWI incidents have been on the rise for the Princeton Borough on the whole, Borough Police said the fall arrests were nothing out of the ordinary.

The four student arrests were not considered a cause for concern, said Lt. John Reading of the borough police department. The district deals with DWI cases on a regular basis, he said, and the fact that University students were involved did not particularly surprise anyone.

"It wasn't that profound — we know people are drinking over there," he said. "And drinking and driving — they go hand in hand."

No additional student arrests have occurred since the initial four, he said, but students should not let down their guard. The borough has stepped up its enforcement of DWI laws since the year 2000. Arrests increased 33 percent between 2001 and 2002 alone, and 219 percent since 2000. Reading said he attributes the significant increase to heightened alertness among his officers and sergeants.

"I think that what we have here is more aggressive enforcement on our part," he said.

According to Reading, the number of instances of drunk driving generally remains "static." Exceptions tend to occur only during periods of heightened alcohol consumption in the borough, such as University reunions, he said.

University Chief Medical Officer Daniel Silverman stressed in an email that the four arrests may not be statistically significant in the big picture.

"I really don't think one can assume this represents a trend of increased DWIs as opposed to the normal variation of these events from year to year," he said. "Given how small the numbers are, one officer alone on a particular day or two could easily account for the 'increase.'"

'Education'

The University has not taken any measures beyond its already established "efforts at education" to address the September incidents, Silverman said.

Most students say they have witnessed few if any occurrences of drunk driving since coming to Princeton. Some said their friends generally acknowledge that driving under the influence is both hazardous and unnecessary on campus.

"I would think and hope they would recognize the wisdom of just walking home," Cole Barfield '03 said. Barfield said that he has never taken a car to or from the 'Street,' and did not believe that his friends had either. The pedestrian accessibility of the Street eliminates the need to use cars after alcohol consumption, he said.

Ryan Goudge '03 agreed.

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"You've got the smartest and brightest students in the country — you're not going to have a lot of kids driving home drunk," said Goudge, who said he had only taken a car to the Street once in his five years here, and had not been drinking on the occasion.

Goudge pointed out that the University is fortunate to have the option of the 'Street' rather than the bar scene of other colleges. "When students have to travel to off-campus bars or clubs to drink, they are more likely to drive themselves home afterwards," he said.

DWI arrests can mean serious consequences for those caught, depending on the number of violations on the offender's record. First-time offenders can expect to have their license suspended for at least six months to a year. Other possible legal penalties include fines of up to $400 and imprisonment of up to 30 days. A third time offender can be sentenced to up to ten years in prison.