HAMPTON ROADS — Thanksgiving Eve, also known as “Blackout Wednesday” or “Drinksgiving,” sees an increase in the overconsumption of alcohol, according to Drive Safe Hampton Roads (DSHR).
Because the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest for America, DSHR notes more drivers will be on the roads than usual, increasing the likelihood of a motor vehicle crash.
DSHR, a nonprofit regional coalition whose mission is to improve highway safety and reduce injuries and deaths from vehicle crashes, is teaming up with Lyft’s ride-share app to make sure you make it to the Thanksgiving table by planning for a safe and sober ride home.
Over the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday (Wednesday, 4 p.m. to Monday, 4 a.m.), there were 482 crashes across DMV’s Portsmouth region (which includes Hampton Roads), with 14 alcohol-related crashes on Blackout Wednesday.
DSHR is offering free or reduced-fare rides to alcohol-impaired drivers throughout Hampton Roads on Blackout Wednesday, sponsoring 757 Sober Ride from 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 until 3 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28.
During the campaign, area residents 21 years and older who are celebrating with alcohol, legal or illegal drugs may download the Lyft app to their phones, then enter the 757 Sober Ride code in the app’s “Payment” tab — under the “Add Lyft Pass” option — to receive no-cost (up to $15) safe transportation home.
DSHR’s 2024 Blackout Wednesday 757 Sober Ride promo code will be posted at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27, at DriveSafeHR.org/757-sober-ride. The code can only be redeemed during the above-stated period for rides originating from or having a destination within Hampton Roads, are subject to Lyft’s Terms of Service and valid while supplies last.
DSHR notes that you cannot reserve 757 Sober Ride or schedule a pickup in advance, and the seven-hour usage window begins when the rider enters the code in the app.
Drunk-driving-related crashes spike during the Thanksgiving holiday season, according to DSHR. From 2018 to 2022, 479 drivers were involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.), 143 were alcohol impaired (BAC of .08 or higher). In 2022 alone, 35 drivers were alcohol-impaired in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve. **
“It is critical that anyone heading out to a bar or party take precautions and plan for a sober driver to get home safely,” said Jonathan Turner, 757 Sober Ride Chairperson. “Unfortunately, the Thanksgiving Eve celebration has become a particularly dangerous night on the roads. Impaired driving is deadly, and no one should ever take that risk.”
To reduce injuries and fatalities in Hampton Roads, DSHR partners with Lyft to provide reduced ride fares to help you get home safely. Sponsors of DSHR’s 2024-25 757 Sober Ride campaign include Huffman & Huffman Brothers-in-Law, the Christopher King Foundation, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
