CDOT and Uber give free ride credits to stop impaired driving during holidays

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- This month, the Colorado Department of Transportation is teaming up with Uber to provide thousands of dollars in ride credits to reduce impaired driving in the state. 

The initiative comes from grant funding from Governor’s Highway Safety Administration and will split $10,000 into $15 ride credits for people to use when they need a safe ride home from their holiday gatherings, CDOT said.

The move comes after this Thanksgiving holiday was the deadliest on the roads in over a decade. According to CDOT, there were 11 fatalities on the roads over the holiday and preliminary research shows most of them involved drugs or alcohol.

Road officials said they haven't seen death numbers that high since 2008 and it doesn't bode well for the upcoming holidays in December.

"We’re really trying to be proactive and keep people safe during the holidays by offering these discount codes so people use a rideshare program and get out of their vehicles," said Sam Cole, communications manager for CDOT.

Users can enter the code "HOLIDAYSAFE" in the promotions section of the Uber app to access their free credit valued at $15 between now and January third. The code is limited to one use per person and the rides last only as long as the grant money does. The code must be used between the hours of 5 p.m. and 5 a.m.

"We don’t want people worrying about staying safe while they’re celebrating," Cole said.