Written by Martin J. Young, former correspondent of Asia Times

Question: College fun doesn’t always mean making the best decision, but a friend of mine really has me concerned. He has a car on campus and likes to drive to parties – and home from them, too. The problem is that he drinks while we’re out, and I am pretty sure that he’s intoxicated a lot of the time by the time he gets behind the wheel. When I argue with him about this, he tells me that everyone drives dangerously sometimes. He talks about people eating fast food and messing with the radio and texting, and says that he’s no more dangerous than most drivers out there, even when he’s been drinking. What can I say to him to convince him that he’s wrong?

Answer:

Drunk driving is incredibly dangerous – not just to the driver, but to the innocent people around him or her. You are right to stand up to your friend and should do whatever it takes – up to and including calling the authorities – to protect him and others from his actions. A car accident is a devastating thing: the experts at Charlotte’s Accident Recovery Center point out that it can cause serious long-term chiropractic problems, emergency room physicians will tell you that accidents can cause serious bleeding and internal injuries, and brain experts know that accidents cause concussions and long-term problems. And each of us knows that death itself is not out of the question in a car accident, so please take your friend’s problem seriously.

Your friend makes the point that there are many other risk factors for accidents other than alcohol. That is not a good argument for driving drunk, but it is a good reminder: many of us who would never drive drunk routinely do other dangerous things behind the wheel, like texting. We should avoid those things just as your friend should avoid drunk driving.

Cell phone usage, for instance, leads to 1.6 million car crashes a year. In fact, texting while driving is more likely to cause an accident than drunk driving – though this is argument for not texting and driving, not for driving drunk! Looking away for the road for just two seconds increases your chance of an accident by a multiple of 24. Drivers should not fiddle with the radio or search for that lost french fry – on this point, if no others, your friend is correct.

Sleep problems are another common cause of car accidents. Drowsy drivers are dangerous drivers, and severely sleep-deprived people can even fall asleep at the wheel. Studies prove that drowsy drivers can be just as impaired as drunk ones, yet people still do it: at least 100,000 car crashes are caused by drowsiness each year, and the real number is no doubt much higher (since there is no reliable way to test for drowsiness and self-reporting is an unreliable metric). These are not all people who stayed up too late of their own accord, of course, because sleep disorders are very common. Sleep apnea, for instance, is a risk factor for car crashes. That’s even with treatment: while the medical community offers a  lot treatments designed to help people with sleep apnea (experts recommend things like CPAP machines, dental appliances, and other devices, but it is important that patients see their own doctors for expert advice that is tailored to their specific needs), sleep apnea sufferers nevertheless remain 2.5 times more likely to be in an accident than drivers without the disorder.

In short, there are plenty of risk factors for car crashes. But absolutely none of this should be taken as validation for drunk driving, which is incredibly unsafe and stands out as being disproportionately deadly even among its fellow risk factors. Drunk driving accidents account for more than 10,000 deaths a year, which is a bit less than a third (29% in 2015) of all traffic deaths. Other drugs are not safe either: drugs other than alcohol contribute to 16% of all car crashes. Driving while intoxicated is irresponsible and unsafe.

Fortunately, university students like yourself should find it fairly easy to get around without being tempted to drink and drive. In addition to the cabs and buses that are ubiquitous near college campuses, many universities offer shuttles and other services to protect their students from the dangers of drunk driving. Check the university website or speak to a university employee to learn more.

“If you drink, don’t drive. Don’t even putt.” – Dean Martin