There’s no reason not to be safe on New Year’s Eve. There are numerous options available to help people avoid a drunk driving arrest – or worse – after ringing in the new year. Those include the Tavern League of Wisconsin’s SafeRide program.
Tavern League President Pete Madland said SafeRide, established by legislation in 2000, has grown from four to 66 counties, and provided more than 75,000 free rides home last year. Participating bars and taverns will provide free rides, using cabs and volunteer drivers, to any patron who requests one.
“An effective way to avoid an arrest or a crash is to designate a sober driver before you celebrate,” said Dave Pabst, director of the Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety. “To help choose a designated driver, our Zero In Wisconsin program offers a free Drive Sober mobile app. Since the app was launched in March, more than 40,000 people have downloaded it.”
The Drive Sober app also includes a “Find-a-Ride” feature that uses a mobile device’s GPS to locate nearby taxi and mass transit services. Another popular feature is the blood alcohol estimator. The Drive Sober app can be downloaded by visiting the Zero in Wisconsin page on the WisDOT web.
In addition, public transit systems in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Madison and Green Bay are offering free rides New Year’s Eve.
