Law firm, nonprofit offer free rides home on New Year's Eve
Revel as the new year arrives, but make sure you get home safely.
That’s the message from a nonprofit and a law firm offering free rides Friday night and Saturday morning for those who have partied a little too hard.
“We want to give people an alternative to a poor choice,” said Nonie Rispin of Designated Driver of Colorado Springs.
The group picks up people at set locations around the city and drives them home in their own cars. The service is free, although riders are encouraged to tip the volunteer drivers, who work in teams of two.
McDivitt Law Firm’s Safe and Sober Free Ride Home Program covers one-way trips home from Yellow Cab of Colorado Springs. Adults can call and tell them the ride is on McDivitt Law Firm.
The free rides are not new for either entity.
While Rispin is expecting a busy night on Friday into Saturday, Designated Driver operates five nights a week. She started the nonprofit two years ago, and Designated Driver volunteers have driven home more than 6,500 people since then.
Rispin said the service will accept calls until 3 a.m. Saturday. However, if the Colorado Springs Police Department declares accident alert status, they will not be driving people home. Since volunteers drive home patrons’ vehicles, the liability is too great if there is ice and snow to contend with.
Despite dealing with drivers who have had too much to drink, Riskin said she hasn’t had problems.
“The people who call us are trying to do the right thing,” she said.
Free cab rides are a regular holiday offering from McDivitt Law Firm. They have been covering cab fares on St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and Halloween as well as New Year’s Eve for four years, paying for more than 5,000 rides in that time.
The firm has spent well over $100,000 on program, said lawyer David McDivitt. Drunken driving accidents are devastating for families. It makes sense to help make the roads safer on busier drinking holidays by making it easier for people to get home safely, he said.
“It might mean fewer cases for us, but that’s fine,” McDivitt said.
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Contact the writer at 636-0162.
Want to help?
Designated Driver of Colorado Springs is still seeking volunteer drivers. If you’re interested, call the nonprofit at 447-7976.
Colorado Springs rides
• Call Yellow Cab Company of Colorado Springs at 777-7777 and tell them your ride home is on McDivitt Law Firm. The Safe and Sober Free Ride Home Program is from 10 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday.
• Designated Driver of Colorado Springs will drive you home in your car if you call from 10 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. Saturday, unless the city goes on accident alert status. Pick up is at a sponsor location around the city. Visit noduicosprings.com/food_drink for a list. The phone number is 650-3450.
Denver rides
• Denver’s Regional Transportation District will offer free bus, light rail and call-n-Ride service from 7 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday.
• The Sawaya Law Firm will reimburse your one-way fare up to $35. Call a cab and send a receipt and copy of valid ID to Holiday Free Cab Ride Program, The Sawaya Law Firm, 1600 Ogden Street, Denver, CO 80218. Call 1-303-466-3529 for more details.
Other tools
• The iPhone app, R-U-Buzzed? BAC Calculator, calculates your blood alcohol content and helps you find alternative transportation.
• A Colorado Department of Transportation website, planaheadcolorado.com, has a collection of statewide links.
