“Make a Plan to Make it Home” should be on the mind of area New Year’s Eve celebration attendees.
A free program offered to help keep local streets safe will be available at local bars this New Year’s Eve in Galesburg and Monmouth. The program is sponsored by G&M Distributors, Shawn Mason State Farm Insurance, United American Cab, 93.7 FM & 1400 AM WGIL, FM95, 92.7 FM The Laser, and 105.3 KFM. Sunday, December 31st to Monday, January 1st from 11:00pm to 3:00am, area bartenders and servers at participating bars and restaurants will have a phone number to use to request a free cab ride in Galesburg and Monmouth – within each town’s city limits. In a news release regarding the program, G & M Distributors President Adam Vitale said “We want all adults who choose to drink, regardless the occasion, to act responsibly.” In an effort to reduce alcohol-related accidents, government data shows alcohol-related fatalities have decreased by over 50% in the passed thirty years. During the New Year holiday in 2015, six people lost their lives as a result of crashes involving at least one driver who tested positive for alcohol. A total of 16 people lost their lives on Illinois roads during that period.In the last five years, 49 people died in crashes in Illinois during the New Year’s holiday period, according to IDOT, and 20 died in crashes involving at least one driver who had been drinking.
