The holiday season is off and running, with work parties, family gatherings, and other festivities well underway. Many of us will be out and about, socializing and visiting, and it’s more likely than not those celebrations will include a few alcoholic drinks.
Like many others, you may feel confident about your driving skills after having a few drinks: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before their first arrest. Make no mistake, this is an incredibly dangerous and harmful belief. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that two to three times more people die in alcohol-related crashes during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays than during comparable periods throughout the rest of the year. And, 40 percent of traffic fatalities during these holidays involve a driver who is alcohol-impaired, compared to 28 percent for the rest of December.
This holiday season, don’t be a danger to yourself, or to others on the road. Plan ahead and identify the best sober ride services available to you ahead of time, should you opt to partake in alcoholic drinks. I Drive Safelyhas compiled the below list of nationwide and regional organizations that offer rides and/or driving assistance that can safely get you home.
Nationwide
1. SaferRide
- Free mobile app on the App Store and Google Play.
- This app from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is easy-to-use with three simple choices—find a taxi, call a friend, or show you were you are on a map.
2. Lyft
- Free mobile app in the App Store, on Google Play, in the Microsoft Store, and in the Amazon App store.
- Lyft is a ride share service which is typically more affordable than a taxi. Prices vary based on location and distance. Check to see if it’s available in your area.
3. Dryver
- Free mobile app in the App Store and Google Play.
- This personal driver service has three options to choose from. Rates vary depending on the kind of service you need, ranging from a $25 fee plus mileage to an hourly rate beginning at $15.95 to $53.
Northeast
4. Designated Drivers of Buffalo
- Free mobile app in the App Store and Google Play.
- In Buffalo, New York, this personal driving service provides four kinds of services from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., seven days a week. Rates vary on the type of service, but range from $40 to $45 per hour. You can also sign up for a membership for lowered rates.
Southeast
- Free mobile app on the App Store and on Google Play.
- Phone: 404-888-0887
SafeRide America is a personal driver program serving the metro Atlanta area, and is the first U.S. company to offer sober ride services for i intoxicated drivers. Hours of availability are from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., seven days a week. Rates depend on the type of service, ranging from $2 per minute to $100 per hour. You can sign up for a membership, lowering the rate.
David Thompson, co-founder and CFO of SafeRide America, described how the company began by modeling after a nonprofit in Virginia, who used volunteers to drive impaired people home.
“[When we started] 18 years ago, the bars would pay us a weekly fee, and we would give them free rides for their customers,“ Thompson said.
Now, SafeRide America works directly with customers and still strongly believes in their mission of getting people home safely as a nonprofit.
Midwest
- Phone: 1-877-394-4567
This service is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and serves the Twin Cities metro area. You can ride home in your car or a licensed car. For the first seven miles, the cost is $30. For each additional mile, it’s $2.50.
- Phone: 313-409-8020
When you schedule a pickup with Detroit Designated Driver, a two-person team will be dispatched to your location, whether it’s a business or a private residence. One person (The Driver) will drive your vehicle with you in it, and the other person (The Chase) will follow you and your driver to your destination. Pricing starts at $40 for the first five miles, and $2 for each additional mile.
Southwest
- Free mobile app in the App Store and on Google Play
- Phone: 1-877-456-7433 (RIDE)
In the Las Vegas area, Designated Drivers, Inc. offers a driver who will drive you home in your own car, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for a $60 flat fee.
Track Your Drinking
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) calculator apps such as DrinkTracker for iOS and AlcoDroid for Android estimate your BAC for you by using your height, weight, age, gender, the number of drinks you’ve had, and what type of drinks they were. Though, the best way to ensure you’re safe to drive is to refrain from drinking alcohol entirely. Apart from that, these apps are some of the best ways to ensure you stay informed about your choices, and, ultimately, keep others around you safe.
Read more on I Drive Safely: A Holiday Party Reminder – Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.
