TxDOT and Lyft offering sober rides in Harris County for New Year's Eve

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- You may be eager to head out and ring in the new year, but TxDOT and Lyft want to make sure you do so safely.

The two are teaming up to provide sober rides today by offering $10 Lyft discount codes for 3,000 people.

Enter code RIDESAFEHOU20 in the Lyft app to receive the credit.

Offers are only valid for today through New Year's Day.

The campaign is part of the push to keep people safe on the roads, especially when it comes to drunk driving.

Harris County consistently holds the highest number of alcohol-related crash fatalities in Texas, and one of the highest in the United States from 2014 to present.

According to TxDOT, in 2019, Harris County had 121 fatalities in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver.

Recently released data for 2020 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that even though traffic volume was down significantly, motor vehicle fatalities didn't fall at similar rates.

Drivers who were on the road during this period were also more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as speeding, drunk driving, and not buckling up.

NHTSA looked at fatal and serious injury data collected at five trauma centers during this same period and found more than half of drivers tested positive for at least one active drug, including alcohol, marijuana or opioids.

Still, medical experts stress that New Year's Eve celebrations happen virtually or only with people in your bubble.