Attorney, liquor distributor to give away sober rides on New Year’s Eve
By Maria F. Callejon
December 29, 2017
COLUMBIA, Missouri – This story was updated at 4 p.m. to add the ride credits being offered by Major Brands.
Columbia attorney Mike Campbell is giving away 25 free Uber rides on New Year’s Eve to prevent people from driving drunk. The spirits distributor Major Brands is also offering up to 1,000 free rides home across the state as part of its Safe Home After Every Occasion initiative.
This is the third year in a row that Campbell has done a sober ride campaign on New Year’s Eve. He said that many of his clients suffer injuries because of drunk drivers and that he wants to make city streets safer.
“My goal is to provide options for people to get home safely and to raise awareness in the community,” Campbell said.
The process is simple: Those interested can visit Campbell’s website and make a pledge. The first 25 people to do so get a $25 voucher to spend on an Uber ride on New Year’s Eve.
There have been 36 traffic accidents involving drinking in Columbia this year, according to data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
“There are so many options available for someone to choose a safe drive home,” Campbell said. “I want to provide one of those options.”
Campbell said that last year the spots were taken in a matter of minutes. His law firm offered 15 additional rides and ended up with 35 pledges.
Meanwhile, Major Brands plans to post a ride code on its Facebook page and its Instagram account on Friday. The code will be redeemable for up to a $30 ride credit that can be used between 4 p.m. Sunday and 4 a.m. Monday. The code in Columbia will be redeemable only through the Lyft app, which can be downloaded at Lyft.com. Quantities are limited.