Hilliard-area residents can claim up to $15 in free Uber or Lyft ride credits over Halloween weekend through a state program aimed at keeping impaired drivers off the road.
The Ohio Traffic Safety Office announced Wednesday, Oct. 28, that it will activate its Project Plan Ahead program at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, as reported by WBNS. Credits can be redeemed nightly from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m., beginning Thursday, Oct. 29, and ending at 3 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2.
Franklin County is one of seven Ohio counties in the program. The others are Cuyahoga, Summit, Butler, Hamilton, Lucas and Montgomery.
How to claim a ride
Riders can find codes and eligibility details at the Project Plan Ahead website. Each code covers up to $15 on a single Uber or Lyft trip. Anything above $15 is the rider's responsibility.
Rides must be requested at the time of travel. The state does not allow advance scheduling. Eligible rides must start or end in one of the seven participating counties, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Credits are available while supplies last.
Halloween crash data
During the five-day Halloween reporting period in 2025, 19 people died in 19 fatal crashes across Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Thirteen of those crashes were OVI-related.
Twelve fatal crashes in 2025 involved drugs or a combination of alcohol and drugs, a 33% increase from 2024 and a 200% increase from 2021, according to the state.
Program track record
The Ohio Traffic Safety Office first launched Project Plan Ahead over Memorial Day weekend in 2026. That weekend, 2,000 ride vouchers were claimed and more than 1,200 rides were taken. Provisional Ohio State Highway Patrol data showed six traffic fatalities, the lowest number in 18 years. None were believed to be OVI-related, according to the state.
Over Labor Day weekend, 5,502 vouchers were claimed and 4,226 rides were taken across the seven counties. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported a 55.6% decrease in traffic fatalities compared with Labor Day weekend in 2025.
