Bartenders to play crucial role in regional road safety program this New Year's Eve
At a press conference about the program Monday morning at Dana Distributor's in Goshen Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said Orange's DWI arrest numbers from 2023 to 2024 show an overall 7 percent decrease, but those numbers are not where he would like them to be.
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A beer distributor, a rideshare service and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are teaming up again to prevent disaster this New Year's Eve in the Hudson Valley.
The growing joint program 'Decide to Ride' is now enlisting bartenders to help get their intoxicated patrons home safely.
Nancy Meyer, manager of New Street Lounge in Goshen, said Monday her most experienced bartenders will be working New Years Eve, looking for people who have had too much to drink and booking them rides home.
"They're going to be responsible for taking the keys," she said, "putting them in an envelope, and giving them to the driver."
Since 2021, MADD, Dana Distributors and Uber have worked together on 'Decide to Ride.'
They provide discounted rides home on Saint Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving Eve, New Year's Eve and the day of the Super Bowl.
At a press conference about the program Monday morning at Dana Distributor's in Goshen Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said Orange's DWI arrest numbers from 2023 to 2024 show an overall 7 percent decrease, but those numbers are not where he would like them to be.
Hoovler said there is a reason for that.
He said that while it is hard to pinpoint exactly why, DWI offenders in Orange County are being referred to addiction treatment programs at a rate nearly half of what it was in 2021, which is created more repeat DWI offenders.
"While treatment is available, I think less and less people are acknowledging problems," Hoovler said. "I think that presents an issue for us, in general, in terms of keeping the public safe."
Meyer said the 'Decide to Ride' program will help New Street Lounge staff do what it often does, not just on New Year's Eve: keep certain patrons from driving.
"It's what we do. It's part of our business. So it's nice that they're giving us and facilitating us with something that we can each out to," Meyer said of the program.
The discounted ride program previously covered Orange, Sullivan and Rockland Counties.
This year, it is expanding to include Westchester and Putnam Counties.
