Companies partner to offer free rides home on New Year’s Eve
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POCATELLO (KPVI) – IZAIC, a transportation service in Pocatello, and Denny’s Wrecker Service, a towing company in Chubbuck, are partnering to offer a free ride share service this New Year’s Eve.
IZAIC began as a yellow cab business, according to the Idaho State Journal, and company founder Charley Potter says he started it several years ago to help reduce the number of DUIs.
Since the name change in 2017, he’s been trying to offer free rides again and this is the first year they were able to make it happen.
In 2021, the Idaho Transportation Department reports 108 people across the state were killed in crashes that involved an impaired driver. This represents 40% of all traffic fatalities that year.
Over the years, Potter says there have been less DUI accidents in Pocatello than in Idaho Falls as a result of this program and he hopes people will take advantage of it this year.
“People that would normally drive home and get a DUI, it saves them from the ticket, it saves them from all the expenses, and it really makes an impact on their lives,” Potter tells KPVI. “By having less DUIs, it potentially saves lives by nobody getting ran over or hurt.”
Denny’s Wrecker Service has been offering free rides since the 1980s. Owner DeAnn Wilson lost a loved one to drunk driving years ago and she says anything they can do to prevent someone else’s heartache is worth it.
The towing company has helped 15 people so far this year.
Wilson emphasizes they can’t take people from party to party. It’s only for those needing a ride home and patrons must have a vehicle that works to participate.
While law enforcement throughout eastern Idaho will be on heightened watch for drivers under the influence Saturday night, ITD says preventing crashes is a shared responsibility and they’re encouraging anyone who will be drinking to have a plan for a sober ride home.
“We want people to enjoy the holiday with family and friends, but we also want them around to enjoy all of 2023 as well,” ITD Highway Safety Manager Josephine Middleton says in a news release. “This is why it’s so important for everyone on the roads to do their part to put an end to impaired driving.”
The free ride share service will only be available to those who live in Pocatello or Chubbuck. IZAIC will only pick up drivers at participating bars. Participating locations include Oasis, Home Suites by Hilton, Red Lion, Pub New Harmony and Odyssey Bar.
The service is available from 10 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday. To get a free ride home, download the IZAIC app or visit the website. To get a tow from Denny’s Wrecker Service, call (208) 237-0671.