Lyft, Budweiser seek to prevent drunk driving on weekends
There are more options than ever before for people to avoid getting behind the wheel when they’ve had too much to drink. Here in New York City, ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft are just a click away on a smartphone.
However, many people find the cost of using one of them prohibitive, especially during peak hours. Of course, the cost of a DUI is much higher, even if no one gets hurt. Unfortunately, too many people fail to consider that.
One of these services, Lyft, is teaming up with Budweiser to cut the cost of rides during prime partying hours through the end of the year. The program, which began on Sept. 16, offers $10 off rides on the weekends between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. in New York, along with three other states, for riders who are at least 21. If your fare is $10 or less, your ride is free.
You do have to do a bit of planning to take advantage of the offer, however. First, you need to have the Lyft app. Every Thursday, Budweiser will provide a code for a $10 credit via Facebook and Twitter at 2 p.m. The first 5,000 users to claim a code for a credit can use it during the designated hours that weekend.
Both companies, in announcing the program, say that they hope it will help cut down on the number of drunk driving accidents (which account for nearly 30 percent of all traffic fatalities) in this country. A spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch says they also hope that the program, which is also being offered in Colorado, Florida and Illinois, will “start conversations about this vital issue.”
With options like these that allow people easy alternatives to getting behind the wheel to drive home when they shouldn’t, juries and judges may have little sympathy for people who do so and cause harm, or worse, to others as a result. In addition to facing criminal charges, drunk drivers can be held civilly liable by victims and surviving family members.
Source: Consumerist, “Lyft, Budweiser Team Up To Fight Drunk Driving With Free Rides In Some States,” Mary Beth Quirk, Sep. 14, 2016
