New Year's Eve is a time when many people head out on the town and have a good time. But it's also a time when many people take their chances on the road after having too much to drink.
However, the SafeRide program helps eliminate drunk driving. On New Year's Eve, anyone can take advantage of it.
If you think you have had too much to drink and cannot operate a vehicle, simply let the bartender know, and they will call you a cab, compliments of the Tavern League of Wisconsin.
SafeRide Home provided nearly 75,000 free rides to people across the state last year at a cost of nearly $830,000.
In Portage County, more than eighty people used it in the month of November.
"First time drunk driving [offense] is about $3,000 dollars with the insurance and the classes and missed work," says Mike Slowinski, President of the Tavern League of Portage County and SafeRide Coordinator. "Take the safe ride. It's there...use it."
He says SafeRide has given more than 250 rides home to people on New Year's Eve in past years.
Wisconsin's SafeRide program has been going strong since 1985, and has received both state and federal funding since 1999.
