The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) today launched its annual holiday road-safety campaign aimed at reducing crashes during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The campaign, which runs through New Year’s Day, features two flagship initiatives: “Sober Rides” and “Safe Holiday Travels.”
OHS is once again offering vouchers of up to $20 for rides-hare services via Lyft and Uber during designated holiday weekend times. The program kicks off Thanksgiving Eve (Wednesday, Nov. 26) and is designed to discourage impaired driving.
Parallel to Sober Rides, the Safe Holiday Travels effort will focus on five key roadway risks: impaired driving, speeding, occupant protection (seat belts), distracted driving, and pedestrian safety. The campaign will deploy expanded community outreach, messaging, and engagement efforts aimed at high-risk populations and high-risk times.
“Our seasonal campaign is extremely important,” said Sharon Bryson, Director of OHS. “With more vehicles on the roads, potential for bad weather, more gatherings and alcohol consumption, and the general light-hearted spirit of the season — the stakes are even higher this year. Our mission is to keep the holidays happy for all Delawareans by providing tools and resources that prevent tragedy.”
Impaired driving remains a pressing concern in Delaware. Between 2020 and 2024, the state recorded 641 fatal crashes, of which 39% involved alcohol or drugs. Facebook+2ohs.delaware.gov+2 In 2024 alone, there were 1,033 crashes involving impaired driving.
When focusing specifically on the Thanksgiving period, national data show elevated risk. Research indicates that in Delaware roughly 33% of deadly crashes around Thanksgiving, calculated on the day before, day of, and day after, were linked to drunk driving.
Delawareans can visit mysoberrides.com to receive a voucher that will be deposited into their preferred rideshare app. The Thanksgiving timeframe for the program runs from 3 PM Wednesday Nov. 26 through 3 AM Thursday Nov. 27.
The campaign will also involve street teams in each of the three Delaware counties engaging with bars, restaurants and beverage partners in the days prior to Thanksgiving.
To stay safe this holiday season, OHS advises motorists and pedestrians to plan ahead for a sober ride home if you intend to drink and to avoid distractions behind the wheel. Be sure to use seat belts and ensure children are properly restrained. During the holiday season, pedestrians will be out and about, so be careful in areas where there are a high number of walkers. Weather can also be unpredictable and there are more cars on the road during Thanksgiving week, so plan accordingly.
Additional information on Sober Rides and the Safe Holiday Travels initiative is available at ohs.delaware.gov and mysoberrides.com.
By combining grant-backed voucher incentives with targeted outreach and data-driven interventions, Delaware officials are hoping to reduce the number of impaired-driving incidents over the holiday season — ensuring that celebrations end with safe rides home, rather than tragedy.
