Too drunk to drive? Evesham will pay for your Uber home

Huge progress being made in Evesham Township, New Jersey. Mayor Randy Brown is leading an initiative now in it's third year called "Evesham Saving Lives". Local restaurants and bars have helped fund a program along with several non-profits, BeMyDD and Uber, to provide rides home for people who have had too much to drink. The township coordinates a pick up service from any town bar/restaurant for people who live in Evesham or Voorhees. Over the course of the past 2 and a half years, more than 6,000 people have been brought home safely. Last year, drunk driving arrests totals four. That's right, four. In a town with more than 50,000 people. That's progress. The same program will roll out in Washington Twp as we get ready for the St. Patrick's Day holiday.

I've been saying for years that ride sharing services like Uber should all, but eliminate drunk driving as the costs are so reasonable for local travel. My wife Jodi and I take Uber into Princeton for a night out to dinner and we're at the restaurant for less than the cost of one specialty cocktail. In the case of the program in Evesham, the corporate and non-profit contribution eliminate the need for tax payer funding. This should be the model for towns across New Jersey.

Maybe it's time for Governor Murphy to champion the idea and encourage other towns to adopt the policy through the use of tax incentives for businesses. Aside for getting the drunks out from behind the wheel, one added benefit is the freeing up of police resources to focus on other areas of public safety. Nicely done, Mr. Mayor.

Next time, he'll have to join me in studio to show off his Superbowl ring. That's right, the volunteer Mayor has a day job as a kicking coach for the 2013 Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens.

Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. Tweet him @NJ1015 or @BillSpadea.

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