Governor Announces Program To Give Rideshare Credits During The Holiday Season

Gov Hogan

It’s a way to discourage those who’ve had too much to drink from driving.

Annapolis, Md (KM) There’s an incentive for residents who’ve had too much to drink during the Holiday period. Between now and New Year’s Day, Marylanders who are under the influence an d find alternate transportation can receive a$10 rideshare credit.

Governor Larry Hogan made that announcement on Monday during an annual ceremony to remember all of those Marylanders who died as a result of accidents involving alcohol or drugs. “No one should ever get behind the wheel of a car and drive impaired,” he said. “And we hope that this creative new initiative will encourage more Marylanders to make better choices.”

The funding for this program comes in the form of a grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association. Maryland is one of five states to receive this grant.

The Governor’s Office says in 2020, 120 people died and more than 2,600 were injured in Maryland’s  due to impaired driving. Along with that more than 14,170 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with about 1,345 of the arrests taking place from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.

“Driving while impaired is deadly yet it continues across our nation,” says Colonel Woodrow Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. “According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, approximately one-third  of all traffic crashes involving fatalities involved drunk drivers.”

Part of the Maryland Remembers Ceremony was honoring the men, women and children who died in traffic crashes involving impaired driving. Kimberly Sizemore spoke about her son, Bennett, who was badly injured in a drunken driving crash. “My hope in  sharing my family’s story is that we can persuade our friends, families, and neighbors to think twice before driving impaired, and to report impaired driving behavior to authorities before another tragedy occurs,” she said.

Monday’s event was the 18th annual Maryland Remembers ceremony

By Kevin McManus