Drunk but want your car home with you? There's an app for that
Date Posted:
Fri, Dec 11 2015,
WJLA
GAITHERSBURG, Md. (ABC7) — It's the season for holiday parties and unfortunately for revelers who drink and drive around the area, police are beefing up enforcement.
In Montgomery County, multiple police agencies are part of a DUI Holiday Task Force.
Sargent S. A. Flynn who heads up that Task Force says, "It's a huge problem unfortunately, not just here, but around the United States. The trend we're seeing is that people are drinking more and more and they're not getting sober rides, because they think they're okay to drive home."
The work of that Task Force takes on a special significance. They just lost one of their own, when 24-year-old Officer Noah Leotta was struck by a suspected drunk driver December 3rd, and died a week later. He is top-of-mind for his fellow officers.
"I'm thinking about officer Leotta, and what he paid for with his very life," Flynn said.
One of the reasons some drivers have said they risk drinking and getting behind the wheel is because they don't have a way to get their cars home.
Now there's an app for that. It's called "BeMyDD" or designated driver. For a fee, you can have a professional drive you home in your own car.
"Sober Ride" the free cab service for impaired drivers, also begins Friday night.
But police warn that even if you get a ride home after drinking way too much, you could still be over the legal limit the next morning.
"One of the issues we're seeing is that the next day when they wake up, go to work, a few hours later they don't realize the only thing that gets rid of alcohol is time," said Corporal John Arsenault.
In Montgomery County, multiple police agencies are part of a DUI Holiday Task Force.
Sargent S. A. Flynn who heads up that Task Force says, "It's a huge problem unfortunately, not just here, but around the United States. The trend we're seeing is that people are drinking more and more and they're not getting sober rides, because they think they're okay to drive home."
The work of that Task Force takes on a special significance. They just lost one of their own, when 24-year-old Officer Noah Leotta was struck by a suspected drunk driver December 3rd, and died a week later. He is top-of-mind for his fellow officers.
"I'm thinking about officer Leotta, and what he paid for with his very life," Flynn said.
One of the reasons some drivers have said they risk drinking and getting behind the wheel is because they don't have a way to get their cars home.
Now there's an app for that. It's called "BeMyDD" or designated driver. For a fee, you can have a professional drive you home in your own car.
"Sober Ride" the free cab service for impaired drivers, also begins Friday night.
But police warn that even if you get a ride home after drinking way too much, you could still be over the legal limit the next morning.
"One of the issues we're seeing is that the next day when they wake up, go to work, a few hours later they don't realize the only thing that gets rid of alcohol is time," said Corporal John Arsenault.