State DOT offers $10 Uber coupon during holidays
With traffic fatalities on the rise statewide, the state Department of Transportation has introduced a coupon code to save residents some money on an Uber ride in an effort to deter potentially impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel during the holiday season.
The code — SAVETHENIGHTCT — will save Connecticut residents $10 off an Uber ride between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 4 a.m. Jan. 14. The code will be accessible between the hours of 5 p.m. and 4 a.m. daily.
The program is being funded by a grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association in partnership with Uber. The state DOT said Connecticut is one of five states to receive the grant.
“Traffic fatalities are increasing at an unprecedented rate” said DOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti. “It is a real crisis. If you, or someone you know, needs a sober ride, please opt for a ride and use this $10 Uber discount code to save the night — and potentially save a life.”
Guilietti said his agency is pleading with Connecticut drivers to be responsible and vigilant through the holiday season.
The state DOT said earlier this week that most recent data shows that traffic-related fatalities in the state are up nearly 16 percent from last year, with 290 fatal collisions reported as of Nov. 12. The state DOT said this year’s data indicates the state is on track to reach record levels by the end of the year. There were 257 fatal crashes in 2020 and 216 in 2019.
The statistics released by the DOT earlier this week come ahead of what is expected to be a busy week of holiday traveling across Connecticut and the nation. Earlier this month, AAA said roughly 53 million people are likely to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. Of those 53 million travelers, about 90 percent or 48.3 million people are expected to drive — 8 percent more than last year, AAA said.