And now they have help. The National Designated Drivers Association, founded by the Congables in 1994, has some 420 volunteers who patrol the streets Tuesday through Saturday night. Using cell phones and pagers, teams of two keep in touch with area bars responding to requests for rides. When they pick up a patron, one team member drives that person and their car home while the other team member follows in the team's car. On a typical weekend night, about six teams of NDDA drivers get several dozen drinkers and their cars home safely.
Drivers come from all walks of life, including students from nearby colleges.
About 15 bars and clubs sponsor the NDDA, paying a nominal fee to offset phone and gas expenses. Occasional tips from patrons also help cover costs. Congable would like to take his association statewide and eventually national. But for now, his patrol area stretches from downtown Richmond to Petersburg, about 20 miles south. The Associated Press.