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by EMILY MELTON
News Reporter
Appalachian State University students will be able to learn about the risks associated with drinking and driving next week when a Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT) Mobile Unit will come to campus.
University Police and the Department of Health and Human Services will sponsor the event on Sanford Mall Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through a grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.
Students are invited to walk into the mobile unit to look at fatality pictures and learn about Driving While Impaired (DWI) cases.
This will be the first time this attraction will be displayed on campus.
“We’re
going to have the BAT Mobile stationed out in the middle of Sanford
Mall,” University Chief of Police Gunther E. Doerr said. “It will help
inform students about DWI’s.”
Doerr said students are welcome to stop by.
The BAT
Mobile Unit is a 32-foot long van complete with supplies and equipment
for use as an education tool for the general public.
The van can also be used for setting up DWI checkpoints.
“There are only about five in the state,” University Police Officer M. Eric Miller said.
Miller hopes the BAT Mobile will increase awareness of DWIs.
He said it is important for students to realize how much impact a DWI could have on their lives.
“If
you’re a business or criminal justice major, for example, it’s going to
be tough to get a job,” he said. “And if you hit and kill someone while
driving intoxicated, the path to your career is probably over.”
According to the North Carolina Justice Academy, 36 percent of all motor vehicle accidents that occur are alcohol-related.
The first offense for a DWI is a loss of driving privileges, community service and approximately a $200 fine.
“Court costs can range from $1,000 to $3,000,” Miller said.
When arrested four times for a DWI, a felony is issued and jail time follows.
“I used
to work in the Marine Corps and I saw some who lost their stripes
because of a DWI,” Miller said. “I’ve had family members who were hurt
and I’ve seen people who were killed by drunk[en] driving.”
He also said the BAT Mobile will be used as a checkpoint for DWIs on Rivers Street in the future.
The date is yet to be confirmed as of press time.
“Each
driver stopped at the checkpoint will be tested,” Miller said. “So,
we’ll be able to see, on average, how many people drink and drive on
any given night on campus.”
The idea for the BAT Mobile was implemented in compliance with the North Carolina’s Governor’s Highway Safety Program.
The program gives points to law enforcement teams based on the number of citations they issue.
Equipment is then given as a consolidation for the points.
Miller said he hopes the initiative will hit home.
“We hope
to establish safety across campus,” Miller said. “With more enforcement
of DWIs, students will be safer and their parents will feel better
about them being away from home.”
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