By Fallon Head | Web Editor
Regardless of the rules for on campus, there will be partying and alcohol consumption in college. It’s just a matter of whether it will happen on or off campus, and the safety of students leaving those events. Even as a dry campus, Baylor should offer night transportation services for the safety of students and the community.
Drunk driving is something that everyone is told is bad; everyone is warned about how even if you feel “fine,” your processing time is off, making it unsafe to drive. But more often than not, human beings choose to risk it for convenience. And the more often that risk is taken, the more confident people get, and the chance of something bad happening grows.
In Texas, impaired driving caused more than 37% of deaths in car accidents from 2014 to 2023, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. According to law firm Anderson Alexander, drunk driving contributes to 16% of Waco crashes.
Moreover, the majority of Texas DUI fatalities happen from 2-3 a.m. on weekends. In Waco, accidents increase from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on weekends. The Baylor University Shuttle Service ends around 5:25 p.m. on class days. The After Hours Service is open from 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., but only to on-campus housing, and it only runs Monday through Thursday.
These current hours of Baylor transportation are helpful, but they do not aid with the safety of students who live off campus, especially during weekends.
Late-night transportation through universities on weekends is growing in popularity across the country. The University of North Texas has buses, shuttles and Lyfts for students to get home depending on what time it is. The University of Texas has “Night Rides” in collaboration with Lyft from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Texas Tech has “Raider Rides” from 6 p.m. to 2:45 a.m.
This type of transportation isn’t only good to decrease impaired driving, but it would also help students who live off campus and go to Moody Library to study late into the night. Driving when tired is also dangerous, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimating that “in 2017, 91,000 police-reported crashes involved drowsy drivers.”
Having safe, university-sponsored transportation options that go off campus all seven days a week would help students drink responsibly, get home safely and have easier mobility around town. Having these services would not endorse drinking, just help students be safe, especially since it’s going to happen regardless.
Prioritizing student safety is a must, even when students may be partaking in activities the school doesn’t endorse.
Human lives come first.
