The Story of CARPOOL

On October 23, 1997, Jeff Schiefelbein received a DWI in College Station and began an 18-month probation sentence. After losing his license and completing 60 hours of community service, he attended a MADD Victim Impact panel where he heard the story of a woman and her daughter killed in high school.

On November 11, 1998, inspired by that story, Jeff decided to start a program his friends and the Aggie community could rely on after a night out. When his ride picked him up from the courthouse that night, he said,

"I'm going to start the best designated driver program in the country."

Over the next eight months, he and a team of dedicated students evaluated every aspect of the idea. CARPOOL vowed never to preach about drinking, but to accept everyone and help them get home safely. Education, they believed, should happen outside the car. In fact, members were encouraged to use CARPOOL if they ever needed it.

After nearly a year of research and promotion, CARPOOL began operations on September 16, 1999 at 10 pm. The first ride was called from the Texas Hall of Fame; the drivers for Car 1 were Suzy Trainer and Evan Campbell. Student Body President Will Hurd stopped by, answered phones, and helped fine-tune operations. By the end of the night, 36 rides had been given — an amazing start for a brand-new program.

As awareness grew, so did trust and the number of rides. Other schools noticed the model and wanted to learn from it. In Spring 2000, CARPOOL received the Outstanding Achievement for a New Committee award from the Association of Former Students and Class Councils, and Jeff earned the award for Best Individual Contribution to Campus.

CARPOOL wasn't modeled after any other program. It's a unique approach we hope continues to inspire and support safe-ride programs nationwide. Since 1999, CARPOOL has given over 297,588 free rides to students and community members across Bryan/College Station.