Free $15 Uber credits offered for rides to or from Richmond Dec. 19-21

A holiday partnership is offering local residents $15 Uber credits valid this coming weekend, as a way to help reduce the risk of drunk and impaired driving during one of the most dangerous times of year on Virginia’s roads.

In recognition of December as Impaired Driving Prevention Month, the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association and Responsibility.org are teaming up to provide the Uber ride credits to help adults get home safely after a night out.

The vouchers will be valid nightly from between 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 19 and 3 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, for rides that either originate or end within Richmond city limits.

The initiative formally launched during a media event Thursday afternoon at Tarrant’s Café Downtown, where representatives from the hospitality industry, public safety organizations and local law enforcement emphasized the importance of planning ahead for a safe ride home when alcohol is involved. Attendees also shared information about how residents can access and use the Uber vouchers.

Drunk and impaired driving is a public safety concern in Virginia, particularly during the holiday season. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 913 people were killed on Virginia roadways in 2023, with 29% of those fatalities occurring in drunk driving crashes.

In December 2023 alone, 61 Virginians died in traffic crashes, including 22 deaths involving a drunk driver. Data also shows that three out of four Virginians killed in drunk driving crashes involved drivers with blood alcohol levels of .15 or higher, nearly twice the legal limit.

Responsibility.org Executive Director Leslie Kimball said the goal of the program is simple: eliminate preventable tragedies by removing impaired drivers from the road. She emphasized that drunk driving is dangerous and affects everyone, not just those who make the decision to drive impaired.

To access the voucher, adults of legal drinking age can visit www.responsibility.org/richmond to download the $15 credit to their Uber app wallet. When booking a ride that begins or ends within Richmond city limits during the designated hours, the credit will automatically apply to the trip.