Drive Safe Hampton Roads, a coalition of public and private organizations with the mission of improving roadway safety and reducing deaths and injuries from vehicle crashes, will partner with rideshare company Lyft to provide free sober rides valued up to $15 beginning at 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and continuing through 4 a.m. New Year’s Day to impaired drivers.

During this period, area residents 21 and older, who are celebrating with alcohol, legal or illegal drugs may download the Lyft app to their phones, then enter the 757 Sober Ride code in the app’s “Payment” tab (under the “Add Lyft Pass” option) to receive their no-cost safe transportation home. DSHR’s New Year’s Eve 757 Sober Ride promo code will be posted at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31, at www.DriveSafeHR.org/757-sober-ride. It can be used only during the above-stated period for rides originating from or having a destination within Hampton Roads, subject to Lyft’s terms of service. Drive Safe Hampton Roads serves  James City County, Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Smithfield, area military bases, York, Poquoson, Gloucester County, and Accomack and Northampton Counties on the Eastern Shore.

There were 85 crashes, involving four fatalities and 60 injuries, from Dec. 31, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2024, in Hampton Roads. * The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that 375 people may die on U.S. roads during the 2024 New Year’s holiday period. This estimate is down 8% from the 408 deaths estimated during the 2023 New Year’s holiday period.

Although it is illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2021, one person was killed every 39 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads. During the 2021 New Year’s holiday period, 40% of fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver, likely when bars are closing, and people are driving home.

Sponsors of DSHR’s 757 Sober Ride campaigns include Huffman & Huffman Brothers-in-Law and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

“It is critical that anyone heading out to a bar or party to plan for a sober driver to see them home safely,” said Jonathan Turner, 757 Sober Ride Chairman. “If you have a holiday gathering on your calendar, make smart choices and plan how you’re going to get home safely once the celebration ends. We want drivers to take this night seriously. Driving drunk is deadly, and it’s preventable, no one should ever take that risk.”

“Designated drivers must commit to 100% sobriety to keep you and your friends safe,” states Drive Safe Hampton Roads’ 757 Sober Ride announcement for New Year’s 2025. “If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement immediately. Doing so could save your life, your passengers, and others on the road. And, if you have a friend who is about to drive impaired, take away their keys and help them decide how to get them home safely – it will be the greatest gift you could ever give them. We want everyone to enjoy the holiday and new year.”

Since its Cinco de Mayo 2022 campaign, Drive Safe Hampton Roads’ 757 Sober Ride program has provided 3,293 safe rides home to users of the program.