Sherburne County and local businesses are taking part in a pilot program to keep people safe from drunk drivers during the holidays.
The Safe Cab Program helps bar patrons get a ride home if they’ve been out drinking a little too much.
The program was started by Judge James Dehn in Isanti County in 2006 as a way to not only prevent DWIs, but to keep people safe on the roads.
“Since the inception of the program there have been 6,465 rides provided to 11,906 patrons,” says Cheryl Turck of the Sherburne County Probation Dept. “That’s a lot of people out there who potentially could have gotten a DWI or killed someone. That’s huge.”
Turck has been instrumental in getting the pilot program started in Sherburne County. After Judge Dehn contacted district representative Judge Sheridan Hawley about the program, the probation department decided to coordinate with local business about taking part.
So far, two area establishments have signed on to the pilot program - Rockwoods and Cowboy Jacks. Those two businesses, along with C&L Distributing, a Budweiser distributor out of Sauk Rapids, have donated $250 each to the program, which began Dec. 5 and runs through New Year’s Day.
“We figured $750 would get us through this pilot program and we would evaluate it after the new year and get some more interest,” says Corey Mabis, supervisor with the probation department. “The price may go down with more participation.”
Most establishments have some type of system for getting their partons a ride if necessary. It’s been that way for years. But there hasn’t been a coordinated effort between establishments or a voucher program.
How It Works
Bartenders and wait staff hand out $10 Safe Cab vouchers to patrons who look like they may need a cab ride.
“They may have consumed too many alcoholic beverages or someone may already be aware of the program and would like a cab ride home,” says Turck.
The bartender will call either Christie Cab or Pro Cab, the two cab companies taking part in the program. When the cab arrives, the bartender or staff fills out all the information on the voucher and hands it to the driver.
“They help the patron into the cab and the driver will take them home,” says Turck. “The first $10 is on Safe Cab. The patron is responsible for anything over the $10 fee.”
The cost is insignificant compared to getting a DWI, which can run between $5,000 and $10,000 for a first offense.
“It’s quite expensive. It’s also expensive for the county,” says Mabis. “The majority of our cases on probation are DWI-related offenses. It takes a lot of manpower to supervise those individuals, not to mention the injuries and deaths that occur on our roadways.”
That’s why the probation department is involved in the pilot program. They want to spearhead the effort to recruit as many establishments as possible and expand the program throughout the county.
“We have a high rate of DWI in Sherburne County and we want to see that go down,” says Turck. “This is a win-win for the community, people on the roads, the patrons, the bars and the beer industry.”
For questions, concerns or interest in getting involved in the program, businesses are encouraged to contact Turck at 763-765-4572 or cherylturck@co.sherburne.mn.us.
