The San Diego State Police Department has made 25 arrests for driving under the influence this year, only five fewer than the number of arrests made for all of 2015.
According to public records officer Serena Cota, the department made 30 DUI arrests in 2015.
Cota said that with the holidays coming up, there will likely be more arrests to come.
Cpl. Mark Peterson said the department sometimes conducts DUI checkpoints, but there is no set schedule for when these checkpoints will occur.
Peterson said he believes even one drunk driver can create a dangerous situation for others on the road.
Many students share this belief and say drunk driving is common at SDSU.
Colin Reinschell, a senior media studies major, said one of his previous roommates was involved in a major accident while driving drunk last year.
“He hit someone head-on,” he said. “He didn’t kill anyone. I’m pretty sure he injured (the other driver),” he said.
Reinschell said he believes drunk driving occurs more frequently at SDSU than many people think. He said he believes few people drive when heavily intoxicated, but casual drinking and driving is common.
“I know friends who have done it, and nothing bad has happened yet, fortunately,” Reinschell said.
Reinschell said he feels it is dangerous for a person to drive with any amount of alcohol in their system.
“I think it’s not good at all,” he said. “Anyone who has had alcohol knows. Even after two beers, people say that it doesn’t really affect them, but your attention is not the same.”
He added that he believes many students have an incorrect perception of how alcohol can affect their driving.
“People are confident in themselves and they think they know themselves and nothing bad will happen, but I don’t think it’s good,” he said.
One SDSU student, who asked not to be identified, admitted to driving drunk in high school, but said they had not done this since beginning college.
“If I drove somewhere and I was drunk, I’m not supposed to be doing that,” the student said. “I think ‘oh, I need to go home’ and you’re surrounding yourself with the wrong people who are not going to tell you not to.”
The student said they regretted their past decision.
“I don’t want to endanger myself,” the student said.“I don’t want to endanger other people, and I didn’t think about that.”
