CDOT and partners provide $20,000 in Lyft ride credits to prevent impaired driving during the holiday season
News Release
Haga clic aquí para ver este comunicado de prensa CDOT y sus socios proporcionan $20,000 en créditos para viajes de Lyft para prevenir la conducción bajo los efectos de drogas y alcohol durante esta
temporada decembrina en español.
Statewide — Starting today and into the new year, the Colorado Department of Transportation is joining forces with Lyft and Responsibility.org to provide $20,000 in ride credits as part of a promotion to reduce impaired driving and save lives statewide. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is launching the program in four states, including Colorado. The campaign is part of a grant CDOT received from GHSA to help prevent impaired driving during the holidays. This is the third consecutive year CDOT has been awarded the grant.
From Dec. 1, 2022 – Jan. 3, 2023, Coloradans can redeem a $10 ride credit using the code “DUISRUGLY” in the Promotions section of the Lyft app. The ride credits, available statewide, are valid only while supplies last. The credits must be redeemed from 5 p.m. - 5 a.m. Click here for the link to apply the credit directly to the Lyft app from a mobile device.
Called the “Nothing Uglier Than a DUI” campaign, the promotion offers a lighthearted approach to a serious topic and aims to curb impaired driving by offering safe and sober rides during the holiday season. CDOT invites Coloradans to show their holiday spirit by sporting their seasonal sweaters and — most importantly — using Lyft ride credits to avoid driving impaired. Those who follow CDOT on Facebook will also have a chance to win a custom ugly holiday sweater by engaging with one of CDOT’s promotional posts on Facebook to be entered to win. Winners will receive a direct message from CDOT.
As part of The Heat Is On campaign, heightened DUI enforcement will occur from Dec. 8 through 20 to help remove impaired drivers from roadways during the holidays. The New Year’s Eve enforcement period will follow from Dec. 29 – Jan. 3.
“There’s no excuse that justifies getting behind the wheel after consuming any substance that impairs you. The safe-ride options that exist today, from ride-hailing services to public transportation, need to be used among us all,” said Darrell Lingk, Highway Safety Office director at CDOT. “Showing your holiday spirit may look different for everyone, but we can all agree that it starts with safety. We’re grateful to GHSA, Responsibility.org and Lyft for the opportunity to offer free sober rides statewide.”
CDOT will also host a pop-up event later this month to give out a select number of Lyft ride credit codes. The campaign will be promoted on social media and other channels to further provide ride credits on a first-come, first-served basis to Coloradans statewide. For additional information about the campaign and using the ride credit code “DUISRUGLY,” visit HeatIsOnColorado.com.
“Each year, far too many families lose a loved one to drunk- and drug-impaired driving during the holidays,” said Jonathan Adkins, Executive Director at GHSA. “Making the safer choice and leaving the driving to someone sober ensures these tragedies never occur. That’s why GHSA is proud to partner with Lyft and Responsibility.org this holiday season to help Colorado promote the use of ride-hailing rather than driving after consuming an impairing substance.”
“Any adult who chooses to drink should do so responsibly. It’s an individual choice that can have a huge ripple effect,” said Darrin Grondel, Ed.D., vice president of traffic safety and government relations at Responsibility.org. “We’re a proud partner of the impaired driving prevention efforts by CDOT and Lyft, especially during the holiday season where we typically see a significant increase in impaired driving crashes and fatalities.”
To date in 2022, 247 traffic fatalities have involved an impaired driver in Colorado, accounting for 36% of all 677 traffic deaths this year. An increasing number of DUIs involve a combination of alcohol with cannabis or other drugs, a risky combination that significantly amplifies impairment.
“We’ve seen a demonstrated reduction in impaired driving crashes when ridesharing enters a community,” said Kamillah Wood, Director of Community Safety Policy at Lyft. “We’re proud to play a part in creating safer roads for Colorado communities by providing a responsible transportation option this holiday season.”
For yearly impaired-driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, visit https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/data-analysis/fatal-crash-data. Information about DUI laws in Colorado can be found at NoDUIColorado.org.
About GHSA
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Visit ghsa.org for more information.
About Lyft
Lyft was founded in 2012 and is one of the largest transportation networks in the United States and Canada. As the world shifts to transportation-as-a-service, Lyft is at the forefront of this massive societal change. Its transportation network includes the largest shared mobility network in the United States and brings together rideshare, bikes, scooters, car rentals and transit all in one app. Lyft is singularly driven by its mission: to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation.
About Responsibility.org
Responsibility.org is a national not-for-profit that aims to eliminate drunk driving and work with others to end all impaired driving, eliminate underage drinking, and empower adults to make a lifetime of responsible alcohol choices as part of a balanced lifestyle. Responsibility.org is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi USA, Inc.; Beam Suntory Inc.; Brown-Forman; Campari Group; Constellation Brands; DIAGEO; Edrington, Mast-Jägermeister US, Inc.; Moët Hennessy USA; Ole Smoky, LLC; Pernod Ricard USA; and William Grant & Sons. For over 30 years, Responsibility.org has transformed countless lives through programs that bring individuals, families, and communities together to inspire a lifetime of responsible alcohol choices. To learn more, please visit Responsibility.org.
About the Heat is On
The CDOT Highway Safety Office provides funding to Colorado law enforcement for impaired driving enforcement, education and awareness campaigns. The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year, with 16 specific high-visibility impaired driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement.
- Find more details about the campaign, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips at HeatIsOnColorado.com.
- More information about DUI laws in Colorado can be found at NoDUIColorado.org.
- Learn more about CDOT’s dedication to keeping Colorado roads safe, including impaired driving enforcement objectives, arrest data and safety information at codot.gov/safety.
