Minnesota State University Reporter

Media Credit: Kevin Klos: MSU Reporter WOBBLY: Circle K President John Nistler tries to walk a straight line using Fatal Vision goggles. These goggles distort vision to what it would be with a .10 blodd alcohol level. [Click to enlarge]

Every 30 minutes an American is killed in an alcohol-related car accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 17,000 Americans are killed and more than 700,000 are injured every year in alcohol-related accidents.

Circle K at Minnesota State and Waseca Police Officer Larry Thornhill stressed the importance of drinking responsibly March 22, during MSU's Drunk Driving Awareness Program.

Thornhill said educating individuals is the best solution to decrease drunk driving in the United States.

Statistics from the NHTSA indicate that in 2003, 25 percent of 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes were under the influence of alcohol. More than $50 billion are spent every year in the United States because of drunk driving costs.

"It's never easy to deliver a death message to a family," Thornhill said. "I've found the easiest way for me to deliver the message is to bring a minister or priest along."

Thornhill has worked for the Waseca Police Department for 31 years. He is the vice chair of the executive board for Mother's Against Drunk Driving in Minnesota and the vice president for the Waseca County MADD chapter.

"Many of us have driven after a few drinks, but you learn fast," Thornhill said. "A friend of mine who is also a cop made a bad decision one night and got into a car after drinking. He went into the ditch and got a DWI even though he didn't hurt anyone. A DWI can affect any licensed driver."

During the awareness program, students had the opportunity to participate in a field sobriety test, which is used to determine if a driver is legally intoxicated. A person is legally intoxicated if he or she blows into a breathalizer and has a blood-alcohol level of .10 or higher.

"One of the worst crashes I've ever seen was in 1992 in Blue Earth County," Thornhill said. "A pickup and a car collided head-on and the victim was four years old. The father and his 4-year-old son were going to the store when a drunken construction worker driving a pickup hit them head on. The boy was flown to Rochester where he died three hours after arrival. The construction worker denied responsibility even after he was sentenced to prison."

Circle K President John Nistler said awareness and responsible drinking are essential in reducing drinking and driving among college students.

Circle K International is an organization for college students who are dedicated to community service and helping others. MSU Circle K serves the Mankato community through projects such as Adopt A Highway, Project Read, Rake the Town, tutoring students and working for Habitat for Humanity.

Nistler said Thornhill's stories and the sobriety test were effective.

"It made students realize how serious the effects of drinking and driving can be," Nistler said.

"There are so many alternatives to drinking and driving today," Thornhill said. "Calling a cab or having a friend pick you up is much safer and less expensive in the long run."

Michelle Campbell is a Reporter staff writer

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