Choose Your Ride this Holiday Season

Santa Cruz County Friday Night Live Partnership is proud to partner with 98 local restaurants and bars in our collective effort to reduce impaired driving crashes this holiday season. Businesses participating in the CHOOSE YOUR RIDE campaign are committed to a safe and healthy Santa Cruz County. CHOOSE YOUR RIDE coasters and cards are available at participating businesses to remind patrons to plan before they drink, to ensure getting home safely, by designating a driver, taking a cab, or using a rideshare service.

The following businesses are offering a holiday special with a free non-alcoholic beverage to patrons with designated drivers: Bay Bar & Grill, Beach St. Pizza and Bar, Brady’s Yacht Club, Bruno’s Bar and Grill, Imura Japanese Restaurant, and The Jury Room.

According to California’s Office of Traffic Safety, Santa Cruz County reported 239 alcohol related collisions resulting in fatalities or injuries in 2016, and alcohol related collisions increase during the holidays. Results from the 2018 Santa Cruz County Place of Last Drink Study indicate that 41% of individuals convicted of a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) had their last drink at a bar, restaurant or club. The County of Santa Cruz urges the community to remember that driving under the influence is not limited to the influence of alcohol, but includes cannabis, prescription medications, and illicit substances. The California Highway PatrolSanta Cruz Area will enter a maximum enforcement period over Christmas and New Year, with roving DUI units and a DUI checkpoint on New Year’s Eve.

CHOOSE YOUR RIDE partners want to thank our community for driving and celebrating safely this holiday season. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For additional information, please contact the County of Santa Cruz Friday Night Live Partnership at (831) 454-5003.