New designated driver program provided for students

A designated driving program is making its way to the University of Rhode Island this weekend.

The program, “Friends Matter,” allows students to volunteer to take their turn being a designated driver, and drive them and a group of their friends to bars including Bon Vue and Charlie O’s. Not only will it ensure students a safe ride back, should you decide to volunteer through the program, but it will get you and your friends to the front of the line at Bon Vue. The designated driver of the night will receive a wristband and fill out a form and then receive free soft drinks and a gift card to the restaurant at the end of the night.

      “This is thinking ahead and planning ahead, and I think it’s really going to work well,” Nancy DeNuccio, Coordinator of Narragansett Prevention Partnership, said.

According to DeNuccio, the bars involved will also be receiving two state of the art ID scanners that they’ll be able to use around the clock. The scanners are owned by the Narragansett Police Department, but will be onsite at the bars.

“It’s a real win-win,” DeNuccio said. “The bars like it because they’re getting the ID scanner and they have no problem providing soft drinks and gift certificates to the designated drivers.”

Students who are interested in the program are advised to meet with Erin Hall and Elizabeth Rogers, the two student coordinators at the university, to get more information on what exactly a designated driver is.

“It’s not the least drunk person of the night,” DeNuccio said. “Friends Matter” will be available for students to take part in select weekends beginning in February through the end of April.

“The university kind of gets a bad reputation around Narragansett because of the parties,” Hall said. “This organization is a great way to build a partnership with Narragansett and URI.” According to Hall, should the designated drivers be seen going for an alcoholic beverage at the bar, they will get kicked out.

“College kids are going to drink, but they should not be drinking and driving,” Hall said.

Hall and Rogers both work with the social media aspect of the program as well as acting as campus representatives for anyone interested in volunteering.

“I just think it’s a great program in itself,” Rogers said. “It’s about taking more responsibility and understanding that if you drink and you’re supposed to be the designated driver, you’re putting yourself and others at risk.”

Hall and Rogers both got involved with the program after hearing about it through the Catholic Center at the university. Hall said being involved with the Katie DeCubellis foundation, a foundation started up for a young girl that was killed by a drunk driver in high school, has helped spark her interest to continue the fight against drunk driving.