The Waco Transit System once again is offering to be the designated driver for anyone in the Waco area on New Year’s Eve.
This will mark its fifteenth year of ferrying people to and from their New Year’s parties for free, in hopes of making the roads safer. Waco Transit drivers will provide rides in Greater Waco from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day. The program is sponsored by Ben E. Keith Co., a beer distributor with a local operation.
Tow King of Waco will also offer free tows home again this New Year’s Eve.
Waco Transit marketing director Veronica Brady said the number of riders varies from year to year but usually hovers between 200 and 300. In the service’s first year, only seven people took advantage of it.
“I think maybe the bulk of people think there’s a catch, because there’s always some kind of catch these days,” Brady said. “But there’s not. We just want people to be safe.”
Brady said it is preferable to schedule pick-ups and drop-offs ahead of time by calling 750-1620. Anyone who finds themselves in need of a ride on New Year’s Eve can still call the line and request a ride on the spot.
“If they happen to already be out, they can call us and we’ll take them home,” Brady said. “It’s much better to set it up in advance. We just want them to know it’s not the end of the road if they didn’t.”
Driving on this particular holiday can get dicey, said Officer Garen Bynum, who has been with Waco Police Department for seven years and part of its traffic unit for the past four years. Last New Year’s Eve, there were 11 wrecks involving intoxicated drivers in Waco, but luckily no one suffered serious injuries, Bynum said.
“They were all minor injuries. Some of them were single-vehicle accidents,” Bynum said. “In one night, that’s quite a bit. We don’t have that many in a week. Those are the kind of numbers that happen in a month’s span.”
Bynum said using the Waco Transit service or carpooling with friends does not just ensure everyone has a ride home. It also means fewer cars on the road and fewer accidents.
“The fewer vehicles out there, the better,” he said. “I’m not saying people need to stay home. Just keep in mind that there will be a lot of traffic at those times.”
He said the first rush usually happens between 12:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. as people leave parties right after ringing in the new year.
“It’s not just you out there,” Bynum said. “You might be sober, but the person next to you and the person coming through the intersection that’s not paying attention may not be.”
Bynum said drivers should remember to look out for cars crossing an intersection at the wrong time, check the weather ahead of time and drive slower in rain or fog.
“If we can do those little things, it will really cut down on the number of accidents,” he said.
Like other law enforcement agencies, the Waco Police Department will have extra officers on duty for New Year’s Eve.
“We definitely see an uptick during New Year’s,” Bynum said. “We know it’s going to happen. It’s something we plan for.”
— WACOTRIB
— WACOTRIB
