OHS launches Sober Rides initiative, promotes winter holiday road safety

The Delaware Office of Highway Safety recently kicked off its statewide winter holiday road safety campaign, an integrated communications and engagement effort to prevent crashes during one of the heaviest travel times of the year for drivers, passengers and pedestrians. This year, OHS is integrating two successful initiatives to broaden the reach of the campaign and specifically target higher-risk populations with messaging that will resonate with them.

First, OHS introduces Sober Rides, a new generation of its annual initiative to discourage DUI/DUID crashes. This year, OHS is providing vouchers of up to $20 from Sober Rides partners Lyft and Uber during designated times. In addition, Delawareans will see the return of Safe Family Holiday, an initiative encouraging best practices around four key road safety issues: DUI/DUID, speeding, occupant protection/distracted driving, and pedestrian activities. This effort links to the earlier Drive Safe Delaware. Love Your Neighbor. campaign. This extended and integrated marketing and communications strategy embraces multiple elements of roadway safety.

Both campaigns leverage local law enforcement, first responders, and community partners to encourage safer driving and walking choices on Delaware roadways.

“Unfortunately, what should be one of the happiest times of the year for Delawareans can quickly turn into a tragic time,” said Sharon Bryson, Delaware Office of Highway Safety director. “OHS is grateful to have community partners including law enforcement, financial sponsors, and local businesses and organizations that are helping us spread our message. Their support allows us to combine and expand these two impactful campaigns. We are especially excited to announce that we now have partnerships with the two largest rideshare services, Lyft and Uber, for our Sober Rides initiative. By making resources like these more accessible, we can do more to ensure that Delawareans arrive alive this holiday season.”

Between 2019 and 2023, Delaware saw 331 DUI-related crashes that resulted in fatalities or serious injury. One contributing factor to crashes around the holidays is the increased presence of traffic and pedestrians on the roadways. All travelers, whether walking or driving, should be careful to eliminate distractions, and always drive and walk sober. Anyone planning on consuming alcohol or any other substances during holiday celebrations, should plan a ride home. The Sober Rides program makes it easy to use available resources available and take advantage of discounts on rideshares.

Sober Rides

For the first time in five years, the OHS initiative encouraging Delawareans not to get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking includes rideshare vouchers of up to $20 from both Lyft and Uber. OHS worked closely with these Sober Rides partners to make it as easy as possible for people to take advantage of this opportunity. A person anywhere in the state can scan a QR code found on campaign posters, table tents, flyers, and other materials to access mysoberrides.com. Once there, they can click to have the voucher directly deposited into their preferred ride-sharing app to be used for a safe ride during these time frames: For Thanksgiving, from 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 27, through 2 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 28; and for New Year’s Eve, from 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 31, through 2 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 1.

Participating bars, restaurants, wineries, breweries, liquor stores, car dealerships, beverage distributors and insurance agencies statewide will be displaying Sober Rides materials. The Delaware business community also stepped up as sponsors to provide funding for the ride-share vouchers.

Safe Family Holiday

The OHS Safe Family Holiday initiative has become a holiday tradition, especially at seasonal festivals throughout the state. This year, street teams will attend two events in each county, engaging festival-goers with safe driving trivia, pedestrian tips, fun and shareable photo opportunities, and other activities that promote safe travel. Safe Family Holiday messaging will be tailored to specific communities, with the entire campaign covering four key roadway safety issues. Communications will be concentrated around times that typically see higher incidents for each issue:

Driving under the influence – Wednesday, Nov. 27 through Saturday, Jan. 25; occupant protection/distracted driving – continuing through Wednesday, Jan. 1; pedestrian safety – continuing through Monday, Dec. 30; and speeding – Saturday, Dec. 13 through Dec. 30.

Safe Family Holiday collateral is being distributed at popular holiday destinations/attractions in Delaware as well as by partners including faith-based communities, police departments, bars and restaurants, liquor stores, cannabis shops, homeless shelters, phone providers, middle schools, retail outlets and DART.

Learn more at ArriveAliveDE.com.