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'Evesham Saving Lives' Deters Drunk Driving With Free Rides Home

EVESHAM TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS)  – Thanksgiving Eve is a popular time for social drinking and for some customers who might need a ride home from places like the Redstone American Grill in Marlton– there's a way to get home for free. It's called "Evesham Saving Lives."

"The Evesham Saving Lives program is a program where between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. we provide free rides to our residents to their home from bars and restaurants," says Evesham Township Mayor Randy Brown.

For the last 2 years, bars and restaurants in Evesham Township have been steering customers toward the free ride program that operates through the ride-sharing apps Uber and BeMyDD.

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"It gives our guests an opportunity to have a safe ride home if they feel they have had a little too much to drink, it's also a nice easy way to recommend they get a ride home," says Jessica Lanneaux, a manager at Redstone.

Officials say that in the last two years township residents have taken 6,000 free rides, DUI's are down 80 percent and there have been no DUI fatalities.

"There's no excuse for drinking and driving anymore, especially if you're an Evesham Township resident and you're here," says Sgt. Erin Gorman of the Evesham Township Police Department.

Local businesses sponsor the program so there is no cost to taxpayers.

"Most of the riders always talk about it, that this is part of the free ride home program. It's a good way to get people home safely," says Uber driver Daniel Vick.

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The program has been so popular in Evesham Township it expanded to Voorhees and there is a discussion about adding the program in other South Jersey towns.

"We spoke to Westhampton, Mt. Holly, Glassboro we have a meeting, Gloucester Township. People have seen the success of this," says Brown.

And he says Evesham is happy to help other towns get started.

 

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