Sober Driving Program - Worth it?
 

Our chapter has always had a sober driving program, that is a guy or 2 are designated on a friday and saturday night to sober drive. Each person is required to do 1 or 2 nights during the semester. There's little interest when we ask for who would like to be sober drivers at our chapter meetings, so lately theres been talk about getting rid of it. I've heard that fewer and fewer greek organizations use this program anymore. And on any given night, we have a few sober guys that are willing to help out, and there are always cabs. We expect guys to tip the drivers but it does not always work out that way.

What do you think?

be careful
 

Please be careful using a designated driver program. It may go against the organization's insurance policy. It can be considered an official event. If someone were to get in a wreck, the organization could be sued.

I think that this would be a very good program to continue esp. if your organization has found in the past that there has been a direct need for it. A sober driving helps in keeping students alive and well. Yes there are cabs, subways, buses, ect., but sometimes, when a you're drunk, it does seem better having someone there who does know you and who will halfway care for you, even it's just making sure that you get home and into a bed/couch/floor.
I don't advocate drinking (for I have seen too many young people in rehabs for alcoholism as well as older adults end up in rehab when it started out in hs or college) but if your fraternity members are going to do this, it is a great program to continue.
As far as the money for paying for gas, kinda treat it like free parking on Monopoly. Let everyone put in say, $20 at the beginning of the season/year/semester/quarter etc. When there is a need for it, get it from "free parking." As far as people "volunteering" for driving, let everyone know that this is something that they have to do. Everyone has to have 2 driving stints, go alphabetically, or by SSN's, or birthdays, or states that their from, etc. Just make sure that everyone can drive and that they have car insurance (I know for me, I couldn't "legally" drive until I was 21 and had graduated from college). But just make this a requirement for the fraternity.
Good luck.

This is not a good idea, making it a requirement, due to the reasons in the post above yours. Insurance and risk management are very important to keeping our organizations active, as all it can take for some groups is one law suit to financially ruin them. Furthermore most fraternal orgs. have the same insurance company, so it would affect many groups, not just one.

If an individual wants to volunteer, they can volunteer, but making it mandatory is a bad idea. Even with a volunteer you run the risk of being sued, and it is not that hard to make arrangements ahead of time for a ride before getting to the point you need a driver.

I assumed that he was talking just about his fraternity brothers having a get together and not having an "open" party off campus.
If he was referring to and "off campus" party, then I would say that folks are on their own.
So when I responded, it was it was thinking of if he was talking about a fraternity only party.

Even then it is potentially a bad idea. Most RM policies and insurance requires taxis or buses. There's even a crackdown by some groups to avoid doing any "away" trips because of the liability involved with travel.

For anyone who reads this, check with your organization's risk management or insurance people, and they'll be able to give you answers. How you proceed at that point is on you but at least you're informed. Being sued is no fun.

RM is no joke. I've learned that much from Greekchat.

That's what pledges are for.

What about a member who doesn't want to hang out with a bunch of drunks? Can it be applied only to the drinkers?

Not really
 

Contrary to what you've been told (facetious comment or serious) that is not what pledges are for. And if you've really bought into that, you need to get a copy of that insurance policy afore mentioned... and perhaps also have a chat with the alums who pay your foundation bills.

A real quick internet search shows that Phi Delt has a waiver on their site to use with a designated driver program where you sign an acknowledgment that all liability and insurance coverage comes from the driver and that the chapter and fraternity disclaim all liability. If you didn't want the program to happen I can't imagine providing that form. And the Sigma Chi risk management foundation/insurance pool website has a document which to me looks like it recommends setting up a designated driver pool for social events and has tips on how to structure it.

The "pledges" answer was a joke, but my advice would be to check with your nationals/insurance pool, because clearly not all are against it. My chapter has a safe driver program and I think it's great because it keeps people from getting DUIs, so I would recommend it at least from my experience, but clearly the answer is check and see first because it's apparently not ok with every group.

Soooooo much irony with the Phi Delt form as they don't allow alcohol in their chapter facilities nationally. You should post links to those forms because I am curious.

Question that goes beyond the scope of fraternity life: Why can't people take responsibility for their actions to not get DUIs? In the past I've been so intoxicated I was still legally drunk the next day, and I've never considered any behavior that would result in a DUI for me (or being arrested or cited for anything else, such as, but not limited to: public urination, public nudity, disturbing the peace, etc.). Why is it either a) someone picks you up or b) you drive drunk? What if that person's car breaks down, are there no other options? Are people not planning ahead?

http://www.phideltatheta.org/documen...-statement.pdf

http://www.chaptertools.net/site_fil...1202334745.pdf

Wow, you can't have booze in your vehicle (no I don't mean open containers, but say a cooler full of beer) if you're using that form and agree to it. Though it does say SAMPLE at the top.

Looking at the Sigma Chi one, could you imagine other liabilities that could stem from following it though? Handing over your keys and they get lost, and you're just a guest? Or even the logistical issues. No body picked me up I got: frostbite, beat up, peed my pants, passed out, chased by a bear, etc. I guess I'm more about promoting responsible consumption at the outset instead of having to do things like this as a result of over indulgence.