Court House Man Hopes New Venture Will Reduce Drinking And Driving

COURT HOUSE– Ben Haberman was lying in bed one night thinking about a drinking and driving commercial he saw and the friends he knew that had been arrested for that reason. He thought about the thousands of dollars they paid in fines and the time one friend would be spending in prison for the life he took while driving drunk.
Haberman, a former bartender, saw first-hand how some didn’t take drunken driving laws or the consequences seriously enough. “I’ve watched people have three, four drinks and just hop in their cars,” Haberman said. “Some people don’t realize only one or two drinks can qualify you as being legally drunk,” he continued.
According to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission a person with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater who operates a motor vehicle or a boat is considered to be driving under the influence (DUI).
Haberman thought of an idea of creating a designated driver service. He Googled the idea and found similar services in place across the country. Haberman went to bars around the county and pitched his idea. The response he received reaffirmed a designated driver service was in need in the county.
Recently Haberman created I’ll Drive, a business venture that he hopes will reduce the amount of people that disregard drunken driving laws to get home.
Haberman thinks most that are charged with DUI went out with no intention to drink and drive. “People may not intend to drive drunk and loose track of how much they consumed, they think they need their car in the morning or there are things to do in the morning, so they’re like I’ll just give it a shot,” he said. “They’re willing to take that risk and sometimes they wake up the next morning and realize it wasn’t worth it.”
The I’ll Drive concept will not only save lives. Haberman says the service is much cheaper then the fines and insurance surcharges’ of a DUI arrest.