The City of Columbus, Anheuser-Busch and Lyft Launch Safe Rides and Law Enforcement Program to Help Reduce Drunk Driving in Columbus

First-of-its-kind partnership offers up to 34,000 round-trip rides over 17 weekends and encourages people to “Be a Designated Rider”

Columbus, OH, September 6, 2017 – The City of Columbus, Anheuser-Busch and Lyft are introducing a safe rides and law enforcement program that encourages Columbus residents to plan ahead for safe transportation whenever alcohol is involved. This partnership aims to go beyond raising awareness about the issue of drunk driving and provide solutions that will positively change consumer behavior in Columbus. This is the first activation under the Columbus City Pilot to Reduce Harmful Drinking, a global effort by Anheuser-Busch to better understand and reduce the harmful use of alcohol.

From September 7 through December 31, Anheuser-Busch and partners will offer up to 2,000 round-trip Lyft rides each weekend in Columbus to help people get safely to and from bars, festivals, games and other events. Every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET, Anheuser-Busch will share a unique ride code on its Facebook and Instagram channels, which followers 21 years of age and older can use to claim a $30 Lyft ride credit (two $15 one-way rides) to use that weekend. Participants can take the round-trip rides anytime between 5 p.m. that Thursday through 5 a.m. that Sunday, then check back the following Thursday for a new ride code.

On these same weekends, the partners will also work with local law enforcement to increase police patrols during high crash risk times to encourage the responsible consumption of alcohol.  

“Together with the City of Columbus and Lyft, we're taking the first steps to implement solutions that will help create safer roads and encourage alcohol responsibility,” said Katja Zastrow, vice president of corporate social responsibility – Better World, Anheuser-Busch. “We hope to use findings from this Columbus program to strengthen efforts in other cities and increase our impact in the future.”  

“As Anheuser-Busch's official safe rides partner, we are excited to continue our collaboration to implement initiatives that benefit the communities we serve,” said Rachelle Celebrezze, senior policy advisor, Lyft. “We hope to remind the people of Columbus that there is no excuse for drunk driving and to use these rides as a solution the next time they are in need of a ride home after a night out.”

“Impaired driving is 100 percent preventable,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “Through support from Anheuser-Busch and these other partners, we're starting to gain a better understanding of the challenges our city faces around drunk driving.”

*Pictured in photo above from left to right: Kate Pishotti, Deputy Director, Columbus Department of Public Safety; Kim Carmine, Marketing Director, Columbus Distributing Co.; Lt. Paul Weiner, Columbus PD; Maryellen Pado, Senior Director, Corporate Social Responsibility; Katja Zastrow, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility – Better World, Anheuser-Busch;  Andrew Ginther, Mayor, City of Columbus; Rachelle Celebrezze, Senior Policy Advisor, Lyft; Michael Stinziano, Councilman, City of Columbus; Teresa Long, MD, MPH, Columbus Public Health; Tom Gregoire, Ph.D, Dean, The Ohio State University College of Social Work; Dr. Kathy Cowen, MS, Director, Office of Epidemiology, Columbus Public Health; Dr. Randi Love, Associate Professor, The Ohio State University College of Public Health. 

About Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch and its employees are committed to making an impact in the communities where they live and work to help create a better world by focusing on three key areas: promoting alcohol responsibility, preserving and protecting the environment and supporting local communities. The Columbus brewery opened nearly half a century ago, and in that time has led the way in the production of no- and low-alcohol beer. In the past three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have invested more than $1 billion in preventing drunk driving and underage drinking and promoting responsible retailing and advertising. Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch, the leading American brewer, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer. For more information, visit www.anheuserbusch.com.

About Lyft 
As the nation's fastest-growing rideshare company, Lyft is preferred by drivers and passengers for its safe and friendly experience, and operates in more than 350 cities across the U.S. The tech disrupter transports nearly 20 million riders per month and offers its customers both scheduled and on-demand ground transportation.