Budweiser and Lyft Join Forces to Help Reduce Drunk Driving by Distributing up to 80,000 Rides Home on Weekends and Holidays

First-of-its-kind partnership rewards beer drinkers who #GiveADamn about drunk driving by offering 5,000 Lyft rides each week—through the end of 2016

NEW YORK, NY (September 14, 2016) Budweiser and Lyft are coming together to make a bold statement against drunk driving and celebrate people who follow Budweiser’s new responsible drinking message: “Give a Damn. Don’t Drive Drunk.” Starting this Friday, September 16 through the end of the year, Budweiser will provide up to 80,000 rides* total on weekend and holiday nights during peak party hours in New York, Colorado, Illinois and Florida.

The next step in Budweiser’s longstanding commitment to promoting alcohol responsibility, this campaign marks the largest partnership of its kind between a beverage and ridesharing company aimed at reducing drunk driving.

Each Thursday at 2 p.m. ET, Budweiser will share a unique code on its Facebook and Twitter channels, which consumers 21+ can enter into the Lyft app to claim a $10 free ride credit. This ride credit can be redeemed the following Friday and Saturday, between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, designed to be accessed when people are returning home after a night out. The first 5,000 Lyft users to claim these codes each week will have the chance to use them that weekend. This promotion is available to both new and existing Lyft users, and the claim and redemption periods will be extended during certain holidays. Consumers in participating markets should check out Budweiser and Lyft’s social channels each week for these updates. Each code is good for a $10 credit or free ride up to $10.

The partnership kicks off on Friday, September 16, Anheuser-Busch’s seventh annual “Global Beer Responsible Day,” in which the brewer and its partners raise awareness about responsible drinking.  While drunk-driving fatalities decreased 51 percent since 1982 according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), there is still work to be done. There are approximately 10,000 fatalities in drunk driving crashes each year, accounting for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities according to the DOT.

“Drunk driving is one hundred percent preventable, and Budweiser and Lyft are dedicated to helping people get home safely,” said Katja Zastrow, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility – Better World at Anheuser-Busch. “As one of the biggest beer brands in the world, Budweiser can play a leading role in the fight against drunk driving, and our program with Lyft will make a positive impact and start conversations about this vital issue.”

“At Lyft, we strive to partner with like-minded, mission-driven brands like Budweiser that are committed to building safer communities and a better world,” says Oliver Hsiang, VP Partnerships at Lyft. “By giving passengers access to 5,000 rides each week, we hope everyone will think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking and look to Lyft as a solution.”

For more information about how to participate, visit blog.lyft.com/posts/lyft-and-budweiser.

*Code good for $10 credit or free ride up to $10.

UPDATE 20 DEC 2016:

Budweiser and Lyft are taking action during National Impaired Driving Prevention Month in December by extending their partnership for responsible drinking through New Year’s Eve and adding two new states: Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

While ridesharing programs are surging in popularity, there is still a need for greater awareness of drunk driving alternatives. According to the 2016 USA Road Safety Monitor, almost all U.S. drivers (99 percent) understand the importance of having a designated driver, however nearly one in five adults never use one and only 19 percent used rideshare programs on a night out. This year marks the second year for the USA Road Safety Monitor, which is conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation USA (TIRF USA) in partnership with Anheuser-Busch and surveys more than 5,000 drivers aged 21 and older.

In response, Budweiser is offering the first 10,000 adults ages 21 or older a Lyft ride credit by visiting Budweiser’s Facebook page on Thursday, December 22, which can be redeemed any day through New Year’s Eve between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. Launched in September, the campaign spans across Washington, DC and six states: New York, Illinois, Colorado, Florida – and now Massachusetts and Pennsylvania – making it the largest partnership of its kind between a beverage company and a ridesharing company aimed at reducing drunk driving.

“The holiday season is a time to celebrate responsibly, and we’re very proud to extend our partnership with Lyft, which is focused on real actions to help reduce drunk driving,” said Katja Zastrow, vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility & Better World at Anheuser-Busch. “Every decision to get a safe ride home is a win in the fight against drunk driving. Our message is very simple: Give a Damn. Don’t Drive Drunk.”