El Paso Both Cracks Down On – And Kinda Encourages – Drunk Driving

El Paso is on a mission to crack down on drunk driving but, in certain areas, the city of El Paso seems to actually encourage it.

Law enforcement is on high alert with regard to drunk drivers and the city of El Paso is helping to lower the number of drunk drivers by offering free Uber rides to those who celebrate too much.

At the same time though, the city also has a policy in place that sort of encourages drunk driving.

For the immediate future, every Friday afternoon, a limited number of $20 Uber credits are made available on the El Paso County website.

Don't Waste Them

Please, don't claim one if you're not going to use it. They expire quickly and if you don't use yours, 1), someone else may not be able to get one, (only 100-150 are released each week) and 2), that $20 is wasted.

The money comes from a $50,000 grant given to the city of El Paso by TxDoT back in October of 2024.

How Does El Paso Encourage Drunk Driving?

The city doesn't really encourage it but they can make it costly for those trying to do the right thing. If you find another ride home, you have to leave your vehicle behind and that isn't allowed in some places. Downtown for example, which is loaded with bars and night clubs.

READ MORE: Who Sells The Most Alcohol?

Starting at 2am, when most bars close, your car could be towed. Then you have to pay all kinds of fees to get it back. Doesn't really make you want to leave it there, does it? Especially if alcohol has clouded your decision making skills.

In keeping with the spirit of the TXDoT initiative and to help the Mayor achieve his goal of keeping drunk drivers off the road, maybe these "no parking" zones should be done away with.