Safe Ride Home Program Holiday Initiative

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Bernalillo County’s Safe Ride Home Holiday Initiative successfully reduced the number of DWI related injuries and deaths for our area during November and December 2009, compared with the same period in 2008. Since 1995, Bernalillo County has contracted with Albuquerque Cab Company to provide free rides home from local bars and restaurants. The rides are offered each Friday and Saturday night year-round and on additional days to accommodate holiday time periods. However, on the day before Thanksgiving and on Christmas and New Year’s Eve last year, the county decided to expand its Safe Ride Home program to include rides to bars and restaurants, rather than simply rides away from such establishments. County officials observed that this one tactical change greatly reduced the number of DWI arrests on those nights. Specifically on the day before Thanksgiving in 2009 DWI arrests decrease from 33 to 13—a 60 percent decrease. These numbers were repeated at both Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with 10 percent and 30 percent declines in DWI arrests respectively. Couple with good planning, execution and results, the program was comprised of a wide sweeping advertising campaign and news conferences featuring elected officials.