Wisconsin DOT: Celebrate safely this New Year's Eve

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Although no one really knows what the New Year will bring, everyone can take steps to make sure 2015 doesn’t start with a drunken driving arrest or crash.

“An effective way to avoid a drunken driving arrest or a crash is to designate a sober driver before you celebrate,” says David Pabst, director of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Bureau of Transportation Safety. “To help choose a designated driver, our Zero In Wisconsin program offers a free Drive Sober mobile app (www.zeroinwisconsin.gov). Since the app was launched in March 2013, more than 50,000 people have downloaded it.”

The Drive Sober app also includes a “Find-a-Ride” feature that uses a mobile device’s GPS to locate nearby taxi and mass transit services. Another popular feature is the blood alcohol estimator. The Drive Sober app can be downloaded by visiting zeroinwisconsin.gov (www.zeroinwisconsin.gov).

In addition to choosing a designated driver before your New Year’s Eve celebration begins,  WisDOT’s Division of State Patrol offers the following advice: