Drunk driving. This clich‚ has been used so much in today’s society that it does not even cause alarm anymore. However, the problem is not decreasing; in fact, the opposite is true.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau states that alcohol is the leading cause of traffic deaths in the United States. Ames police arrest an average of 150 people each year for OWI. Story County records about 140 OWI arrests each year.

At Iowa State, a supposed bastion of knowledge, the number of students getting behind the wheel while intoxicated are unbelievable.

The Student Health Center recently sent out surveys to ISU students. Of the surveys returned, 29 percent of males and 17 percent of females admitted to driving intoxicated in the past two weeks.

To curb this problem, DPS has developed alcohol education programs that are open to students. But honestly, what good will they do? The hard facts are that the students who are causing the problems are not likely to attend these alcohol seminars.

The Iowa legislature has proposed a bill to lower the legal driving limit from .1 blood alcohol concentration to .08. But this new law would have no effect because the majority of drunk driving accidents are caused by drivers with blood alcohol well over .1.

Laws must be changed to attempt to solve this huge problem, but the legislature is dealing with the wrong laws. The key to solving the problem is increasing the consequences.

Driving over the legal limit is a serious misdemeanor which includes a suspended license for 180 days. The maximum penalty is one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. However, as many students know firsthand, most get off with only two days in jail and a $500 fine. Why?

Repeat offenders are proof that these laws are not strict enough. Someone who has been charged with OWI more then once should not be on the road. If the punishment for drunk driving were increased, people might think twice about getting behind a wheel after a few beers.

The law would not hesitate at throwing an armed robber in jail because he or she threatened the lives of others. Every time someone drives drunk, he or she is putting lives in danger, yet drunk drivers frequently get the minimum punishment.

Aren’t those who put their own lives and the lives of others in danger deserving of a year or more in jail?