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Designated Driver of Colorado Springs wants to take you and your car home
Posted: 09.28.2012 at 7:40 PM
Abbie Burke

Abbie Burke is a general assignment reporter for FOX21 News.

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Designated Driver of Colorado Springs is back in service and wants to take you and your car home for free.  / FOX21 News: File Photo
Photo

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Do you know how your getting home tonight? One local organization wants to make sure you and your car make it back safely.

Designated Driver of Colorado Springs, a non-profit, offers not only rides to those enjoying the nightlife in Colorado Springs but a way to get their car home as well.

"My volunteers work in teams of two. One person to drive the impaired person home in their own vehicle and the other to follow in a chase car so that we can pick our driver up and move on to the next ride," Nonie Rispin, Executive Director of Designated Driver of Colorado Springs, said.

Rispin said she began the program back in 2009 to help get drunks off the road.

"A lot of people will justify drinking and driving because they've got to have their automobiles the next morning," she said. "By driving folks home safely in their own vehicles we feel like we've eliminated the most popular reason for justifying drinking and driving."

In November 2011 the program was shut down due to a lack of funding, but Rispin was determined to bring it back.

"We decided that we worked too hard and had accomplished too much to go away forever, so with the help of some wonderful people we were able to bring the service back in March of this year," Rispin said.

Now she said they are working hard to let everyone know they've returned.

"There's still a lot of folks out there that don't realize that we're back. I run into folks all the time who say 'Oh I thought you guys went away,' and I have to say 'Well we did but we're back,'" Rispin said.

The service is free from sponsoring locations, which include most of the downtown bars, Copperhead Road, The Dublin House, and more.

"We do encourage tips for the drivers. They're all volunteers. They pay for their own fuel and maintenance on their vehicles, but we certainly aren't going to say no to anybody who calls up and says 'hey I just spent my last two bucks at the bar and I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be driving,'" Rispin said.

She added that the organization has also added a new voucher program that allows people to purchase trips from non-sponsoring locations.

"The vouchers allow them to be picked up at non-sponsoring locations, house parties, anywhere in our service area," Rispin said.

A book of 10 vouchers can be purchased for $100.

Rispin said drinking and driving is taking a risk that's just not worth it.

"It's just the most preventable tragedy there is. We're just out there to offer an alternative to making a poor choice."

The service runs from 10:00 p.m to 3:00 a.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Call 719-650-3450.

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