Connecticut And Uber Team Up To Combat Drunk And Drugged Driving

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, unless you’re trying to combat drunk and drugged driving and then it is quite a challenging time of the year.  That’s what the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is trying to do this holiday season.  Across the country fatalities due to drunk and drugged driving are on the rise and they consistently see a spike during the holiday season.  New Haven auto accidents involving drunk and drugged driving rise during the last half of November and the month of December every year and this is a continually problem that is facing officials.

Law enforcement officials use all of the tools in their tool belts to combat this rise in fatalities as the holidays near; speed traps are increased, enforcement of drunk and drugged driving laws is increased, and there is always a greater police presence on the roads during the holiday season, but even these heightened measures are not enough to completely combat this spike in injury and death.

This year, the GHSA has teamed up with Uber and five state highway offices to provide a $95,000 grant to states including Connecticut, Colorado, Texas, Maryland, and New Mexico in an effort to offer free Uber rides to people who are out celebrating the holiday season.  The goal is to reduce the number of people who are intoxicated and behind the wheel by increasing the number who use a ride-share service like Uber.

Independent studies have shown that the addition of Uber into a metro market reduces the number of incidents of fatalities due to impaired driving significantly.  The study found that after Uber was introduced into the Houston, TX market in 2014 that these types of fatalities were reduced by nearly 40%.  Not only do fatalities decrease, but so too do DUI arrests which see a sharp decline on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in any market that Uber enters.

Whether you’re out celebrating at a bar with some old friends or headed to a family get together this holiday season your best defense against a New Haven auto accident is to designate a driver, but if you fail to do that, take advantage of free Uber rides from the Connecticut Department of Transportation to get you home safely and keep your neighbors safe as well.

If you do find yourself injured from an accident you may need an attorney that can review your case and help you protect your long-term interests.  Our attorneys will do just that and have many years of experience working on behalf of people just like you.