On top of the dangers of driving drunk, the cost of one DUI ticket in the state of Arizona can exceed $1,200 in fines.
For this reason, Tucker Nivison and Matt Motta, two Valley residents, started Last Call Drivers, a Maricopa County company that offers designated drivers and specifically targets students.
“This is a service for responsible drinkers so if they have a beer or two after they pass an exam, they can still get home safely,” Nivison said.
Created in January, the program now boasts a refer-a-friend feature that gives $25 restaurant gift cards for both the referrer and the new client.
The designated driver service works on a membership basis, so the member pays a monthly fee for unlimited rides anywhere within Maricopa County.
In addition to the fee, members are also expected to tip their drivers.
The membership fee for students is $39 per month.
Nivison said of the company’s student clients, many have parents who pay the monthly membership fee for them. He added that Last Call Drivers does not provide the service to underage students without parental consent.
“There’s no reason not to have this service if you’re a responsible drinker,” he said. “One DUI in the state of Arizona is equivalent to 20 years of month-to-month membership with Last Call Drivers.”
Of their clients, Nivison said about 25 percent are students. Other clients include bars and restaurants as well as professionals such as pilots or doctors who would lose their licenses if they received a DUI.
“In Arizona the DUI law is very strict,” he said. “[Drivers] might not even really be drunk, but in the state of Arizona it’s .08 [blood-alcohol content] and that’s a DUI.”
Motta said the service is much more valuable than calling a cab because the drivers work in teams so one driver takes the client’s car home and the other follows, ensuring that both the member and the car arrive home safely.
“It solves all the problems,” he said. “No. 1, you get home safely, and No. 2, you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to go get your car in the morning.”
Nivison said they started the service because his “heart went out” to people affected by DUIs and drunk-driving accidents.
“You’re flipping through the newspapers and you see all these unfortunate stories related to DUIs and who it affects,” he said. “It really just starts to hit home after awhile.”
Carly Campo, a former ASU student and the former president of University Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said she didn’t think college students would be able to afford a monthly fee for the service.
“I definitely think it’s important to get drunk drivers off the road, but college students are probably not going to be able to pay the fee,” she said. “They’re thinking about the cost or how it’s going to fit into their budget and when they’ve had too much to drink, they’re not going to want to pay for this service.”
Reach the reporter at allison.gatlin@asu.edu.
