With the festive season upon us, and New Year’s Eve right around the corner, Kiwis are ready to enjoy a night out.

This year, we are teaming up with Cheers! to remind party-goers that when they’ve had a few drinks they should put down their car keys and pick up the phone.

Uber – which lets people request a ride at any time at the touch of a button – gives almost 400,000 Kiwis access to safe, affordable and reliable transportation when they need it.

With more people riding with Uber after a night out partying, drunk and impaired driving is down in cities across the world – a trend we are pleased to bring to New Zealand cities too.

“We encourage Kiwis to remember to drink responsibly, by knowing your limits and keeping to them. Being able to recognise what a standard drink looks like, drinking water in between alcoholic beverages, eating food and pacing yourself are all part of drinking better – and more responsibly,” said Matt Claridge, spokesperson for Cheers!

“Having a plan on how to get home after a few drinks is incredibly important, to ensure you make it home safely and can enjoy the coming year.”

This year, Uber is releasing Ride Smart Tips to help make it easier to use Uber during our busiest times, especially the lead-up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Richard Menzies, Uber New Zealand General Manager, added: “This festive season and New Year’s Eve, remember that you can get a designated driver within minutes by pushing a button and getting a ride. We hope party goers who have had a few drinks will remember they can always put down their car keys and pick up their phone to get an Uber.

“We want to make it even easier for riders to make that choice, even on our busiest nights, by offering Ride Smart Tips for enjoyable evenings out.”

Ride Smart Tips:

  • Time your ride: During times of high demand, Uber fares fluctuate  (via an algorithm) to help ensure a driver is always nearby, and you can get a ride if you need one. In the past, fares have tended to be the highest on New Year’s between midnight and 3am so you should plan accordingly.
  • Check the cost before you request: Before you request an Uber, you’ll see in the app the estimated cost of the ride.
  • Price too high? Wait a few minutes or find an alternative: When fares are much higher than usual, this will show in the ride menu, and you’ll be asked to confirm you are ok with the higher rate. If it’s out of your price range, you can check back in a few minutes or choose another available transportation option such as buses, trains or taxis.
  • Share your fare: Start the party early and cut the cost by sharing an Uber with your friends. You can split the fare in the app with the friends you ride with. The multiple destinations feature in the app also makes it easier to get dropped off at different locations.
  • Share your trip status: Whether you’re running early, late, or right on time, keep your family and friends posted by sharing your trip details with them straight from the app.
  • Contact support: If you lose an item, remember you can contact your driver directly in the app to track down your lost items or request help/report an issue on an Uber trip.
  • Respectful rides: Be kind to your driver: driving party people can be stressful don’t forget to leave a compliment. To help make Uber better for everyone, make sure to follow our updated Community Guidelines to ensure that both riders and drivers treat each other with respect. Also remember these 5 star rider guiding principles:
    • Pin it to win it. Taking a few seconds to make sure your pin is dropped in the right place — or better yet, entering your pickup address — can save time and headaches. Consider busy streets, illegal parking and other places that may make pickups challenging for your driver. And, in case you were wondering: drivers can’t see your destination before accepting a request.
    • Please don’t pile in. Most cars with Uber can only fit 4 riders. If you’re in doubt about how many people your ride can fit, use this formula: number of seatbelts = number of riders. Have too many people? Request another car so everyone can ride safely.
    • Time is money. Driver-partners do everything they can to pick you up in as little time as possible. Please try to return the favour by being ready to hop into your Uber when it arrives. You can let your driver know you’ll be a few minutes late by using Uber’s in-app feature.
    • Confirm your ride. Want to make sure you’re in the right car? Just confirm your first name with your driver and ask them to do the same before you get in the car. You can also check the make, model and license plate of your ride in the Uber app.
    • Be courteous. Please treat your driver as you would like to be treated and be sure to approach your driver’s car with care. Please don’t smoke, drink or eat on the trip. This not only makes the trip unpleasant for your driver, but for everyone after you as well. If you’re running late, please don’t encourage your driver to break traffic laws like illegal u-turns. The rules are there for everyone’s safety.