Driving under the influence is a serious problem among college students here in Nevada and throughout the country. One university student had an idea when he was attending the University of Connecticut several years ago to help students safely get to and from their dorms and parties and area nightspots. Now it's a business that he plans to expand using an Uber-style app to other universities in the region.
The business is called Sober XPress. Some 20 UConn students can be summoned from a call center operated out of the young entrepreneur's apartment. For somewhere between $3 and $8 each way, they will drive students to or from their destination near campus on Friday and Saturday nights into the wee hours of the morning. Riders must have a UConn email address.
The service is a more affordable alternative to those like Uber or taxis. Besides acting as an on-call service for students, Sober XPress drivers are also instructed to stop and pick up pedestrians who seem to need assistance, at no charge.
While UConn, like other colleges and universities, offers free rides, many students would prefer not to have a university employee giving them a ride home if they've had too much to drink. Students who drive for Sober XPress must pass a background check and receive training in dealing with inebriated people. Their vehicles must undergo and pass safety inspections.
There are multiple options these days for people to get where they're going without driving under the influence. However, sometimes people misjudge exactly how much they've had to drink and/or how impaired they are. If you've been arrested for DUI, a Nevada criminal defense attorney with experience handling DUI cases can work to help protect your rights and mitigate the consequences to your future. To speak with a Reno DUI attorney about your case, please call Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P. today.
Source: Portland Press Herald, "Drunk College Students offer untapped market for Connecticut ride entrepreneur," Pat Eaton-Robb, AP, Dec. 22, 2015