How To Get A Free Ride Home On New Year's Eve, Day

TAMPA BAY, FL — The hours between 6 p.m. Dec 31 and 6 a.m. Jan. 1 are the most dangerous time of the year for drivers.

Compared to the average weekend night, the 12-hour window on New Year's Eve and Day has about 71 percent more crashes where alcohol or drugs are listed as a contributing factors, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 5,125 alcohol- or drug-related crashes in Florida in 2017. Of those, 350 fatalities were fatalities.

See related story: It's The Most Dangerous Time Of Year To Be On Road

St. Petersburg ranked fourth in the state with 4.63 DUI deaths per 100,000 residents. Tampa came in at No. 7 with 3.77 DUI deaths per 100,000 residents.

Ranking in the top 10 for medium-sized Florida cities were Plant City (4), Temple Terrace (5) and Pinellas Park (8). And in the top 10 for small cities was Gulfport (5).

However, the news isn't all bad. According to the Tampa Alcohol Coalition, Tampa Bay is making headway in reducing drunk-driving crashes with the help of tougher enforcement measures, new statutes, sober rides programs and public service campaigns.

The TAC said safe ride programs are helping to keep socially responsible drinkers off the roads and may be responsible for a decrease in drunk driving accidents in major metropolitan areas like Miami-Dade, which dropped 65 percent in 2017.

Additionally, Millenials in Florida, concerned about their environmental footprint, are driving less and using public transportation more.

There are several groups that offer safe rides to inebriated drivers including the Auto Club Group and Bud Light, which hosts the Tow to Go service to discourage an intoxicated driver from getting behind the wheel.

Other free safe transportation options are sponsored by Uber and Lyft.

Uber is offering free rides up to $10 with the code "SAFERIDETPA."The code is good from 9 p.m. Tuesday until 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The Tampa personal injury law firm Abrahamson & Uiterwyk announced that it will reimburse people for the cost of ordering a cab or ride-share on certain holidays in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Polk counties including New Year's Eve and Day. Click here for guidelines.

HARTline will offer rides on the TECO Line Streetcar in downtown Tampa for free on New Year's Eve from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., during the annual Light Up Tampa event. The free In-Towner will also be operating throughout Downtown Tampa until 1 a.m.

HART also will offer free rides beginning at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve on all fixed-route bus services.