The designated driver
The designated driver (DD), in it’s intended role, is the individual abstaining from alcohol while they’re in charge of getting themselves and/or others home safely. This is the the standard DD role. Mark Sterner knows all too well how that is not always the case, especially on college campuses.
During spring break of his senior year of college, him and four of his best friends went out for a night of drinking. By the end of the night, they decided that the least drunk would become the DD—Mark became this person. The next morning, Mark woke up in the hospital facing three counts of DUI manslaughter. In a single moment, Mark went from being the first one in his family to graduate college, to the first family member to go to prison.
As reported by NBC news, studies show that 40 percent of designated drivers still drink, and 20 percent said they drink so much that it significantly impairs their ability to drive.
Mark is out on college campuses each year telling his story. He doesn’t try to discipline college students into not drinking, but rather gets them thinking and reflecting on their decisions in the most responsible way. Mark is there to remind them that one decision, like choosing to drive after drinking, can change your life forever.
Visit campuspeak.com/sterner to learn more about Mark and his program that has impacted more than 2 million college students.