As the recipient of a grant from GHSA and ride-hailing company Lyft to prevent impaired driving during the 2019 holiday season, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) used $20,000 in Lyft ride credits to provide safe and sober travel options in Sangamon County — the home of Illinois’ capital, Springfield.
IDOT sought to use grant funds to increase the number of Lyft requests generated and rides given during specific time frames in Illinois. To spread the word about the availability of ride credits, IDOT enlisted the Illinois State Police, the Springfield Police Department, the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and many other Sangamon County law enforcement agencies, which actively shared the Lyft ride credit code on Twitter.
The social media approach proved to be an effective marketing tool for the ride credit codes. All 1,000 credits were claimed in the first 24 hours of the campaign, and Lyft ridership increased during the holiday timeframe, leading to positive increases of safe, sober rides taken in Sangamon County during a time of the year when impaired driving often peaks.