Police say drunk driving limited, despite incidents
By Bobby Philbrook
Although there have been two recently reported incidents on campus of students attempting to drive away drunk, Santa Clara police say drunk driving is a relatively minor problem around campus.
In September, two different non-resident students were found intoxicated or passed out in their cars. The police were not notified in either case. Last year in May two students were arrested for drunk driving. On May 17, a student was arrested by the California Highway Police for drunk driving and a hit and run. On May 26, another was arrested on Lafayette Street. One student was detained by Campus Safety for possible drunk driving after driving recklessly on Palm Drive; however, she fled through a bathroom window before the police arrived, according to campus safety reports.
"We've had a number of situations where we've seen intoxicated drivers and the first thing we do is call SCPD," said Director of Campus Safety Charlie Arolla. "We don't have the authority to make a car stop."
Lt. Mike Sellers of the Santa Clara Police Department said a person must have a blood alcohol content over or equal to .08 percent and be in the act of driving the car or blocking traffic to warrant a driving under the influence arrest. In ambiguous cases, officers use their judgment to decide whether a person is endangering themselves or others with their vehicle.
"So a guy passed out in his car in the middle of an intersection even if its not moving? That's a DUI," explained Sellers.
Sellers sees drunk driving as a minor problem around campus. Noting the relatively short distance to the bars and the house party scene, he said most students don't need to drive when they drink. According to Sellers, the area around campus has a high number of other alcohol-related citations and noise complaints.
The university has long sought to address the root cause of all these problems, according to Associate Dean for Student Life Matthew Duncan. Duncan said many disciplinary problems, including drunk driving, stem from high-risk drinking.
"We have no data to point to, but it is happening. What concerns me is that more students are engaging in high risk drinking," said Duncan. "Once a student is drunk, then they are more likely to make a poor decision."
Still, some students choose to drive to the local bars, citing foul weather and laziness as reasons for driving rather than walking.
"I'll often drive to Franklin Square and then walk home at close. Someone usually drives me back the next day to pick up my car," said junior Taylor Glass, frequent bar patron.
Unlike other local universities, such as Stanford and San Jose State, Santa Clara offers no shuttle service to campus from the bars. Some businesses have used the lack of transportation as an opportunity to drum up customers.
"We provide the shuttle on Wednesday because people are more likely to come to C and J's versus The Hut if they can get there faster," said Jill Piermattei, a senior who works at the bar.
Duncan said the university has tried in the past to provide alternative transportation to students who may choose to drink, such as running the Bronco Bus on a route through local bars and operating a "Cabs on Campus" program. Originally, the Bronco Bus followed a route through downtown San Jose, Saratoga and back to campus, but it wasn't utilized enough by students.
"The university has tried in the past," Duncan said. "It is still open to new ideas to decrease drunk driving."
Contact Bobby Philbrook at (408) 554-4546 or rphilbrook@scu.edu.
Correction: The story incorrectly quoted Matt Cameron, assistant vice provost for student life. The quote should have been attributed to Matthew Duncan, associate dean for student life.