“When I first thought about ArriveSafe I never thought it would be such a well-received program,” said Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. “We have provided over 17,500 rides home since 2007.”
There have been more than 60,000 OVI-related crashes in Ohio in the past five years, he said. Of those crashes, 3,100 have been fatal.
During that same period, Montgomery County has seen 2,900 OVI-related crashes, including at least 180 fatalities.
“The sad part is every one of these crashes could have been avoided and all of these people would be alive,” Heck said.
ArriveSafe will be available from 6 p.m. Dec. 24 through 6 a.m. Dec. 26 for Christmas and 6 p.m. Dec. 31 through 6 a.m. Jan. 2 for New Year’s.
Residents can scan a QR code to access the Uber voucher.
Heck said he’s happy to see how ArriveSafe has been embraced in Montgomery County and that other counties in the region have adapted similar programs.
Bar and restaurant owners have told the prosecutor’s office their staff will share the ArriveSafe cards with patrons who appear too impaired to drive, he said.
“We feel very comfortable that in offering ArriveSafe we’ve kept people not only safe but alive,” Heck said.
The prosecutor encouraged everyone to plan ahead if they expect to drink alcohol as part of their holiday celebrations. Make sure to set a designated driver, use a ride share program or download the ArriveSafe voucher before starting to drink.
“We’ve got to make sure to look out for each other and look out for our fellow citizens,” Heck said.
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