Every day, Michael Sabbeth, founder and partner at Sabbeth Law in Woodstock, sees the catastrophic effects of drunken driving on both victims and survivors.
That’s why, even though the firm specializes in representing people injured in vehicular crashes, Sabbeth Law is sponsoring a program to help reduce drunken driving incidents in the Twin States.
As part of the Sober Holiday Rides Initiative, the firm reimburses the cost of taxi and ride services on New Year’s Eve and other “drinking holidays” throughout the year.
Participants can call a taxi, Uber, Lyft or similar ride service to a destination anywhere in Vermont or New Hampshire and mail the receipt to Sabbeth Law (a screenshot is OK). The firm will foot the bill.
“The vast majority of our (legal) cases are truck and car wrecks,” Sabbeth said. “You see how bad it is, and how much there is of it. You get to know the people who are injured, the families who have lost somebody. You have an emotional investment.
“We’re happy to have less work, if we can.”
Sabbeth got the idea for Sober Holiday Rides several years ago while networking with fellow lawyers at a national professional conference.
“Most of the organizations make genuine attempts and investments to address trucking and car crash incidents and so we often brainstorm,” Sabbeth said.
A law firm in Houston was reimbursing the cost of ride services in an effort to prevent drunken driving, and it struck Sabbeth as a great idea.
“We figured out the ins and outs of how to do it as effectively as we can in Vermont and New Hampshire,” he said.
Since 2016, when Sabbeth Law rolled out the program, riders from Burlington to Manchester have taken advantage of it. Sabbeth estimated the number of participants to be in the hundreds.
Depending on how much publicity the program receives in advance of the holidays, it costs the firm anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $2,000 per year.
“We spend a certain amount of money every year on charities, and we wanted to find something local and direct that people would use,” Sabbeth said. “There’s a satisfaction to putting a name to the person you’re helping. We can send the money directly to them.”
The rider must be of legal drinking age. The maximum value of the ride can’t exceed $40, and the receipt must be submitted within seven days. For other details and requirements, go to sabbethlaw.com and choose the community option in the about us tab.
Sabbeth acknowledged that finding a ride service in the Upper Valley, particularly in its more out-of-the-way areas, can sometimes present a challenge. His suggestion: Rather than waiting until the end of the party and then casting around for safe transportation options, make arrangements in advance.
“If you know you’re going to be going out drinking, Google (a ride service) before you go,” he said. “They’re here. They’re around.”
While New Year’s Eve is considered one of the biggest drinking holidays, Sabbeth Law also has offered the program on St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and the Fourth of July. A non-holiday request for assistance wouldn’t be turned down, either. “If someone contacted us and said, ‘Hey, I need help,’ we’d respond,” Sabbeth said.
So if you’re planning on having a few drinks to celebrate the new year, don’t take chances behind the wheel.
“It’s so easy to take advantage of this program and avoid the consequences,” Sabbeth said.