Don't Chance a DUI: Call a Cab Instead

Here's a novel idea to reduce the number of drunk drivers out on the roads during the alcohol-soaked winter holiday season: Offer vouchers for taxi rides during the month of December.

The Lev Foundation is doing just that (AP, via San Jose Mercury News) in an effort to reduce DUIs, but only in Southern California.

Based in Beverly Hills, the Lev Foundation is named after Daniel Levian, who was killed last year while riding in a car driven by a drunk driver. In addition to its ThinkSmart taxi voucher program, the group also allows party organizers to register and distribute the vouchers to guests.

Los Angeles is thousands of miles from Chicago, of course, but this type of approach could work anywhere.

No one thinks they'll be pulled over for a DUI, and alcohol has a way of making people feel invincible, but consider for a moment that the average cost of a DUI conviction in Illinois (FindLaw) is about $16,000, according to the Secretary of State's web site.

So what will it be, $10 to $30 (depending on how close you are from home) or $16,000? The stakes are too high to simply roll the dice.

To make it easy, copy down the following Chicago-area taxi dispatchers (or just print this page) and put it in your pocket before heading out to that holiday bash:

CMT: (773) 661-8717
Dispatch Taxi Affiliation Inc: (866) 985-8992
American United Cab: (773) 248-7600
O'Brien's Taxi Service: (773) 600-3469
3 J's Cab Co: (773) 723-0836

Think of this as a gift that just might save your life. Happy holidays!