New Year’s Eve can be a treacherous time for local motorists and pedestrians, but Lawrence residents can thank the local DCCCA counseling service for making the celebration a little safer.

For the 30th year, DCCCA will take the lead in providing the Tipsy Taxi service, which will give anyone a free safe ride home between midnight and 3 a.m. Thursday. Just call 842-TAXI (8294) to get a free ride.

It would be nice if everyone who is out celebrating tonight would drink responsibly, assign a designated driver or take other steps to make sure they don’t pose a threat to themselves or others, but experience tells us otherwise. According to DCCCA, the Tipsy Taxi provided rides to 835 people last New Year’s Eve, which was a significant increase over the 688 people who used the service a year earlier. That’s hundreds of people who are smart enough to call for a ride rather than get behind the wheel when they know they shouldn’t. The SafeRide service operated by Kansas University doesn’t operate on a regular schedule during the semester break, but it also will provide rides to KU students who call 864-SAFE from 10:30 p.m. today until 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

DCCCA coordinates Tipsy Taxi, but the service is made possible by the financial contributions of local bars, restaurants and businesses. Dale Willey Automotive is this year’s title sponsor, according to DCCCA, with significant donations by Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Johnny’s Tavern.

Whether you go out tonight or stay home, please be careful and take advantage of the Tipsy Taxi if you need it. We want this to get the new year off to a safe start.

This editorial has been changed to correct Tipsy Taxi’s phone number and to reflect SafeRide’s schedule for New Year’s Eve.