'Safe Ride Home' program pays dividends for motorists

New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights for drunk driving of the year, but not for more than 800 responsible drivers who took advantage of Christensen Law’s annual Safe Ride Home program.

“Before New Year’s Eve, Safe Ride Home had helped over 1,300 people,” said attorney David Christensen, who earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. “Seeing that number skyrocket to more than 2,000 is incredibly humbling. I’m so happy that Safe Ride Home has made a difference in so many lives.”

Founded in 2015, the Safe Ride Home program reimburses individuals for rides home with a taxi or ride sharing service on certain holidays. On Jan. 18, officials at the firm mailed out approximately 830 reimbursement checks totaling more than $20,000.

The program reimburses individuals up to $35 for a ride to their home. The 2018 program for Thanksgiving Eve and New Year’s Eve was endorsed by both Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and Genesee County Sheriff Robert J. Pickell.

Founder of the Southfield-based law firm, that also has a satellite office in Ann Arbor, Christensen was inspired to create the program when he saw first-hand how devastating a drunk driving incident could be during his time serving families as a personal injury lawyer. He wanted his firm to contribute to keeping everyone safe.

“We have three core values in our firm: Listen, Protect and Win,” said Christensen. “This program allows us to measurably deliver protection, not only for the person who has decided to take a night out, but for our community at large.”

Christensen Law is a personal injury law firm that specializes in helping victims of automobile and truck accidents.