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Santa Fe DWI CADDy program nationally recognized

Santa Fe – October 1, 2010 – The Santa Fe County DWI CADDy program was selected as one of the noteworthy government programs and practices for the Bright Ideas program by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. The CADDy program was one of 173 programs chosen out of nearly 600 applications submitted from across the nation.

Bright Ideas is an initiative of the Ash Center’s Innovations in Government Program, which spotlights exemplary models of government innovation and advances efforts to address the nation’s most pressing public concerns. The 2010 Bright Ideas will be showcased on the Center’s Government Innovators Network, an online marketplace of ideas and examples of government innovation for policymakers and practitioners.

“Being selected as a Bright Idea is an honor and we are very proud of our program. We feel the only way to reduce impaired driving and eliminate DWI-related deaths is by changing the culture of a community and the CADDy feedback seems to support that idea. Hopefully by encouraging and asking residents to use a designated driver, whether it is ours or their own as long as it is someone that has not consumed any alcohol, then it is definitely a step in the right direction,” said DWI Coordinator Rebecca Beardsley.

The CADDy provides safe transportation through Capital City Cab to adults from a residence to any location or from any location to a residence within the Santa Fe City limits for a nominal fee. The service runs Friday and Saturday nights from 5:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. and costs $5 for 1-2 people or $10 for 3 or more. The service also runs outside City limits, riders are responsible for the fee from the city limits to the rider’s destination. To utilize the CADDy program call (505) 995-9528.

The CADDy program gave the first ride on June 15, 2007 and to date has given 20, 713 rides. According to Beardsley 82 percent of the rides provided by the CADDy program were to or from an establishment that sells alcohol. She said she felt people were starting to realize, not only is it against the law to drink and drive, but it is not acceptable.

According to the Santa Fe Police Department, since the implementation of the CADDy program DWI arrest rates have dropped 57 percent on Fridays and 53 percent on Saturdays during the CADDy hours of the operation because fewer people are driving drunk.

For more information on the CADDy service or DWI prevention information contact Rebecca Beardsley at (505) 992-9842.