MADD partners with Uber, giving you reasons to ride this New Year's Eve

At the end of 2019, when rideshare services are prevalent, getting home safely after ringing in this new year will have never been easier.

Still, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is urging partygoers to have a plan for the big night out.

"You never have a true plan until you know how you're going to get home," said Callie Ramsay, Victim Service Specialist with MADD North Carolina.

MADD is again partnering with its national sponsor, Uber, to promote its Reasons to Ride campaign.

Instead of finding yourself after midnight, having enjoyed an alcoholic beverage or several, coming up with reasons to drive yourself home, MADD wants you to ride home safely with a designated driver, public transportation, taxi, or rideshare service using the app you downloaded ahead of time.

"We absolutely encourage celebrating the New Year, but doing so responsibly," Ramsay said. "So of course we encourage you to go out and enjoy the festivities but you need to have a plan to get home that does not involve you getting behind the wheel of a car when you're impaired."

Ramsay said that between New Year's Eve 2017 and New Year's Day 2018, 47 percent of all traffic deaths in North Carolina were caused by alcohol-related crashes with 58 people killed.

To ensure you have a plan for getting home, Raleigh Police are offering up these helpful tips:

• Arrange for a designated driver

• Alcohol-related accidents can be highest between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., so use extra caution on the road at those times

• Use public transportation, taxi, or ridesharing service both to and from the celebration

Raleigh Police said taking alternative transportation to the celebration helps you avoid leaving your car in a strange place overnight, and Ramsay said it's the best way to ensure you don't make any impulse decisions while under the influence.