About three weeks ago a friend mine from high school was driving down I-40 to see her cousin. It was really early on a Saturday morning. When she was four miles away she was hit head on in the westbound lane by a driver going the opposite direction. Jenny was killed instantly. She was 21.

A 911 call made three minutes before the collision verifies that the other driver had been going the wrong way for at least three miles. Though the tests have not been completed at the time of this writing, the other driver was certainly intoxicated.

Jenny was one of the most generous and loving people in the world. Her wedding was next June, right after she was to graduate. Jenny was going to be a midwife and help bring babies into the world, but another person’s decision to drive while intoxicated cost both their lives.

Since it is the beginning of a new school year, I think it is time to remind everyone here at NC State University about the dangers of drunk driving; especially the freshmen who are about to have a great deal more freedom.

According to State law, what is considered drunk driving, and what are the consequences if you manage not to kill anyone?

In North Carolina, the legal limit is a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.8 or higher. So if you get pulled over and blow a 0.8 you will be arrested and charged with a DWI. You will most likely lose your license for a period of time (about a year) and pay heavy fines. And if you do it again, there is mandatory jail time as well as additional fines.

The laws are different if you are underage. In addition to the above laws, North Carolina has a zero tolerance rule for driving after consuming any amount of alcohol. Any BAC that registers will get you a DWI.

Now I know, like everyone else, that drinking in college is something that is going to happen. But there are ways to avoid the tragedies that drunk driving leads to. It is simple. Plan ahead. If you know that you are going to be drinking, make sure you have a safe way to get home or just stay where you are.

So the next time you are out drinking and it is time to go home, be safe. Call a cab, call a friend, or just stay where you are until you are sober. Don’t get behind the wheel. Because it only takes a second, one short moment for that mistake to catch up with you and perhaps another innocent driver on her way to visit family.

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