Safe, free rides offered to New Year’s partiers
40% of holiday traffic deaths involve drunk drivers, officials say.
Partiers from Montgomery County can again get free taxi rides home, as officals urge people not to drink and drive.
New Year’s partiers from Montgomery County will again be able to get free taxi rides home, as the county urges people not to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
From noon today through 6 a.m. Thursday, Montgomery County residents can call 937449-9999 to get a free cab ride for up to a $50 fare, as part of the ArriveSafe program. The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s office leads the effort, citing financial support from Heidelberg Distributing Company, KeyAds and AAA Miami Valley.
The prosecutor’s office said the chance of being involved in an accident because of an impaired driver increases by 34% during the holiday season, with 40% of holiday traffic deaths involving drunk drivers.
“You decide. Do you want to go home safely in the back of a cab, or go to jail, handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser?”
Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck said in a statement, calling it “a simple decision.”
Heck’s office said since the service began 12 years ago, ArriveSafe has provided nearly 7,500 rides on holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and St. Patrick’s Day, averaging more than 600 per year.
Media representatives for the Uber and Lyft companies did not respond Monday when asked whether they are offering any discounted service for the New Year’s holiday.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol also is urging those celebrating the New Year’s holiday to be safe, telling them to plan ahead and designate a sober driver.
“There are many options to get home safely,” said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. “Planning ahead before you go out is not only the smart thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.”
The State Patrol said 11 fatal crashes killed 12 people during the four-day 2018-2019 New Year’s holiday reporting period, with seven of those crashes and fatalities OVI-related. There were 458 arrests for OVI by Patrol officers in that period.
Through Dec. 23, Montgomery
County had 564 driving under the influence crashes, according to the state patrol, or one every 15 hours. Thirteen of those crashes were fatal and 40 others caused serious injuries.
“We take impaired driving seriously and remain dedicated to enforcing Ohio’s OVI laws,” said State Patrol Superintendent Col. Richard Fambro. “We can’t fight the battle against impaired driving on our own – we need your commitment to make our roads safe. You can help us save lives and make our roads safer when you designate a sober driver.”
Drivers are encouraged to report impaired drivers and drug activity to the Patrol by calling #677.