About 34 people die of drunken driving-related crashes a day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — and the victims span far from just the people in the car.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is partnering with Uber for Alcohol Awareness Month to tackle DUI-related crashes across Georgia, Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Starting in April, the campaign will promote alcohol safety through the use of the ride-sharing app.
“We know ridesharing saves lives,” said Jill Hazelbaker, chief marketing officer and SVP of communications and public policy at Uber in a press release. “If you’re planning a night out and might be drinking, the choice should be simple: take an Uber home. Together with MADD, we’re reminding everyone that choosing not to drive impaired helps keep you — and everyone else on the road — safe.”
The innovative campaign includes a series of powerful PSAs about driving under the influence, highlighting how ride-share apps can provide a safe and easy alternative to getting home.
In 2021, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that alcohol-related crashes have decreased 6.1% nationwide through the introduction of ride-share apps. However, the issue continues to persist and grow.
For instance, drunken driving fatalities increased 8% in Georgia during 2022, according to the NHTSA, and two out of three people will be affected by impaired driving during their lifetime.
“My older brother, John Michael Patrick, Jr., was killed by a drunk driver in 2007,” Prisca Patrick, a MADD ambassador, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “[The driver] was driving with a suspended license. He already had three previous DUI convictions, and yet, he was driving his mother’s car, and he ran a stop light.”
Her brother was killed alongside his girlfriend. This led Patrick to get connected with MADD at a young age, empowering her to speak out against the dangers of drinking and driving.
“I like to say I grew up with MADD,” she said, calling the nonprofit “a family no one really wants to be a part of.”
“But I am actually happy to be a part of something that helps the awareness about impaired driving,” Patrick continued.
The main goal of Uber and MADD’s campaign is to spur people to create a plan when going on a night out, whether it includes a designated driver, a ride-share app or some other form of ground transportation.
“Alcohol Awareness Month is a timely opportunity to spark change — and this partnership between MADD and Uber is doing exactly that,” said the CEO of MADD, Stacey D. Stewart, in a press release. “By combining Uber’s innovative platform with MADD’s decades of advocacy, we’re empowering people to make safer choices. Together, we’re not just raising awareness — we’re creating real, lifesaving impact.”
Uber will also match donations to MADD this month up to $25,000, with all funds going toward families impacted by impaired driving crashes.
“Impaired driving is 100% preventable,” Patrick said.
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