Avoiding driving on New Year's Eve

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - There are ways to stay off the road in Virginia Beach and Portsmouth for the New Year's holiday.

Stay off the road tonight in Virginia Beach by using the "Do Not Tow Program."  You can leave your car in a city parking lot at the Oceanfront on 2nd, 4th, 19th, 25th Street and Rudee Loop.

If you call the police department, an officer will meet you at the lot and give you a "do not tow" sticker for your windshield and you can leave your car where it is. The police department says you must call before 2:30 a.m. and you must pick up your car from the lot between 8 a.m. and noon on New Year's Day.

Call 757-385-5000 to request a sticker.

Call AAA at 631-1700 to get a ride home and have your car towed with it. The program is called "Tow To Go" and it's available in Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Yorktown and Williamsburg. The program lasts through 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

It is worth it to stay off the road if you've had anything to drink on this holiday.  There will be DUI check points set up all over Virginia Beach.  The police department said in 2011, they charged more than 2,500 people with driving under the influence of alcohol.  They also said, out of the 13 fatal crashes they've had in 2012, seven of them have involved alcohol.
   
In Portsmouth, the sheriff's office is offering a similar program to keep drunk drivers off the road, but they'll drive you home.

Sheriff Bill Watson is sponsoring the "Safe Ride Home Program" again.  If you can't drive, someone from the sheriff's office will give you a ride.

They'll use vans to take you within ten miles of the city between 10 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. However, they'll only pick up in the city.

Contact the Portsmouth Sheriff's Office by calling 757-393-5030.

Stay with WAVY.com as more cities offer programs.