Program provides free rides during holiday season
Fort Wayne, Ind. – Mayor Tom Henry today joined with Holiday Cab to announce the return of the program that provides free rides home to Fort Wayne residents during the holiday season.
The safe ride program aims to prevent the tragedies that can and do occur when motorists drive drunk or impaired. Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes.
In its 24th year, the goal of the program is to reduce drunk driving. The free cab service runs from Thursday, Dec. 15 to Sunday, Jan. 1 from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Holiday Cab was created to provide an alternative for people who don’t have a designated driver and don’t want to drive impaired.
Residents should call the Holiday Cab phone number – 460-4710 -- in order to get the free service.
“This is a great way to get people home safely. Our goal is to make sure our residents stay safe and that no lives are endangered on our roadways.” said Mayor Henry.
About 1/3 of fatal car crashes – or nearly 11,000 – happened as a result of an impaired driver getting behind the wheel.
Over the last four years, the number of alcohol-related crashes in Fort Wayne -- from Dec. 5 to Jan. 1, between the hours of 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. -- has dropped from 21 collisions in 2007 to eight alcohol-related crashes in 2009 and 2010.
The Holiday Cab program will provide free rides home to those who live within a 10-mile radius of downtown Fort Wayne. Those who live farther can still use the cab service, but will have to pay the difference if their ride extends beyond the 10-mile radius.
Reservations are not accepted, and the cabs will only take people home, not to another bar, restaurant or party.
The Holiday Cab Program – which operates in multiple cities throughout the United States – has gained popularity in Fort Wayne, said Rita Junk, program administrator. The very first year of the program, they gave less than 75 rides home. Some years they have given as many as 600 rides home. Junk says they average of 250 to 300 rides each year, over the life of the program.
“Our goal is to provide an alternative method of safe transportation home for party-goers who should not be behind the wheel of a vehicle,” Junk said. “Local law enforcement agencies support our efforts to encourage people to use our program and not risk being pulled over and arrested or causing injury to anyone.”
This year’s Holiday Cab program is sponsored by AALCO Distributing Company, Deluxe Taxi Company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Communication Networks, UAW CAP Council and the Tavern Owner's Association.
The program has received support from the Fort Wayne Police Department and other law enforcement agencies.
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