College of Business Administration

GROUP MEMBERS:

Clayton
Hemme
Potter
Thomas

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

GOAL
The "Safe Ride Home" program was formed to prevent SDSU students from drinking and driving and to offer students a way out of any uncomfortable situation.

OVERVIEW
The "Safe Ride Home" program, in association with the Associated Students of SDSU and Cloud 9 Shuttle, will provide a free, one-way ride home for students who need it. The service will operate on Fridays and Saturdays from 11pm to 3am. It would cover the areas of SDSU, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, and the downtown Gas Lamp district. For students to be eligible for the program, they must sign a liability waiver and conduct agreement at school. Once this has been done, they will receive a sticker, which is to be placed on their student ID card. When they need to use this service, they should call Cloud 9 and they will pick them up. Students must present their ID card with the sticker to the driver prior to riding. Cloud 9 Shuttle will only provide rides for those who have their ID and sticker. Students will not be given rides to bars or parties, but only to their houses. Students may use the service as they like, however, they are limited to one, one-way ride per night. The costs of this program are projected to be anywhere from $7,114 to $14,842, depending on the number of Cloud 9 vans used. Funds for the program are expected to be provided by the Associated Students of SDSU, local bars and clubs, brewing companies, radio stations, programs such as MADD and SADD, and any other party willing to donate.

ETHICAL REASONING
Deontology - The theory of deontology claims that individuals' actions are morally right or wrong, independent of the consequences. Driving under the influence of alcohol is against the law and therefore, morally wrong.

Utilitarianism - Utilitarianism is the theory that we should choose the alternative that produces the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people. The goal of the "Safe Ride Home" program is preventing intoxicated students from driving a car. The result is intoxicated students and other drivers on the road will better off because of the program.

Ethic of Care - The Ethic of Care states that we have to recognize and take seriously the moral worth of relationships, particularly those characterized by caring. By choosing to drink and drive, students are jeopardizing the well being of everyone on the road as well as themselves. Driving under the influence shows that the person doesn't seem to care about the consequences. By choosing to use the "Safe Ride Home" program, students show that they care not only for themselves, but everyone else.

Libertarianism - This theory states that an action is right if it maximizes the capacity for an individual to make a free informed choice. The "Safe Ride Home" program provides an alternative to drunk driving. It maximizes their alternatives allowing them to make the right choice.

Social Contract - The social contract theory states that morality consists in a set of rules, which govern how people are to treat one another, which rational people will agree to accept for their mutual benefit. The condition is that other people will follow the set of rules as well. When an individual drinks and drives, the result is a violation of that set of rules. Unfortunately, there are many people that do not act rationally, and they decide to drive after drinking. The "Safe Ride Home" program offers those drivers a free ride, which results in the mutual benefit of both parties.

ASSESSMENT
The "Safe Ride Home" program has received a lot of support. It was just approved by the Executive Committee of the Associated Students of SDSU on Wednesday, the 29th of November. This means the Associated Students will donate $5,000 and possibly more to the implementation of the program. The program will begin in the spring semester of 2001. The program will cost a lot of money so we are seeking additional monetary support from local bars, brewing companies, radio stations, and programs such as MADD and SADD, to help it develop further along. It will be a pilot program, which means it will be tried during that semester and evaluated. If the program succeeds it may become a permanent program of the university.