Uber to Install Breathalyzer Kiosks | Hawkins Spizman

The popular ridesharing company Uber has made a major announcement and it has to do with getting drunk drivers off the road. The announcement marks the first service of this kind to be launched, and residents of Seattle are looking forward to its start.

Beginning later in the fall, Uber will install kiosks in random areas throughout Seattle. Anyone who has been drinking and feels as though it would be too risky to drive is invited to step inside the closest kiosk. Visitors will then blow into a Breathalyzer device. If they register on the machine, they will be given a free ride home.

This no-questions-asked service is not offered anywhere else in the nation. It is one that many people are hoping catches on. It is only one more step in the fight against drunk driving. The more options people have for getting where they need to go, the less likely they are to get behind the wheel.

Seattle resident Kyle Capps called Uber’s decision a positive move and does not anticipate it giving people a reason to drink.

“Most people are pretty responsible when it comes to drinking. If they like to drink a lot and get something out of it, that’s OK with me,” Capps said.

When Uber’s plan launches, it will start with one kiosk. That kiosk will be moved to different areas of the city at random, unannounced intervals. Germaphobes need not worry. A plastic disposable straw will be dispensed to each person who chooses to blow into the Breathalyzer.