Too much to drink on “Blackout Wednesday”? New Jersey bars are teaming up with mobile rideshare app Uber to provide a safe ride home.

Through the holidays, Uber will provide free rides of up to $20 for first-time riders at all bars and pubs that belong to the New Jersey Licensed Beverage Association.

During the 2012 Thanksgiving weekend, more than 170 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“This partnership is about creating an environment that allows people in New Jersey to celebrate responsibly with the knowledge that they can always get a safe ride and a designated driver at the tap of a button,” said Ana Mahony, general manager of Uber New Jersey.

“Our goal is to end drunk driving by making the use of safe and sober designated drivers be as automatic as wearing a seatbelt,” HERO Campaign Bill Elliott said. Any one who signs up for Uber through the NJLBA will be entitled to a free ride of up to $20 for their first ride. Each NJLBA bar will serve soft drinks and and other benefits to designated drivers who sign up with the HERO Campaign, a nonprofit that aims to prevent drunk driving.

It’s not the first time the company has offered free rides as a way to curb drunk driving: After DUI incidents increased in Evesham Township last year, Uber partnered with the municipality to provide free rides from select bars and restaurants to township homes until Jan. 2.

The company has also offered free rides as a promotional tool: Last week, the company announced a similar program for customers at Caesars, Bally’s and Harrah’s in Atlantic City.As it stands, free first-time Uber rides are not hard to come by. All customers are given a “referral code” which, when passed out and used by others, entitles both parties to a free ride.

Following the holiday season, Uber, the HERO Campaign and the NJLBA will conduct a study to determine the program’s impact in reducing DUI incidents across the state.

Mike Davis | November 23, 2015 | Source