One South Jersey town calls a free Uber if you're too drunk to drive
A southern New Jersey town of 45,000 is testing out a new kind of ride-hailing program, this one targeted at people who've had a bit too much to drink. Uber has partnered with New Jersey's Evesham Township to provide free rides to people who are too inebriated to drive themselves home, Reuters reports. The service is available to patrons in at least 19 bars and restaurants in the area. Another free-ride service, BeMyDD, also went live in Evesham on Friday, and both programs are funded via donations from local nonprofits and businesses.
In September, the town ran a pilot program that offered free shuttle rides to drinkers, and that service helped decrease DUI arrests by 65 percent -- they dropped from an average of 23 per month in January to August, to just eight in September, according to the report. The pilot program provided free rides to more than 350 people, which is great, considering Evesham was on the brink of hitting 250 DUI arrests in 2015 -- a record-high for the town. The Uber and BeMyDD services are available from 9PM to 2AM every night, and the partnerships are locked in through January 2nd. Happy New Year, Evesham.
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
