CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. -- Hoping to jump-start ride-sharing legislation that stalled in Albany this past year, Cheektowaga Police Chief David Zack, writing on behalf of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, penned a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking for Uber and Lyft for the sake of public safety.
"We're looking to hopefully move the needle and get this legislation passed for all of New York State," said Zack, counting himself among police officers who believe ride-sharing will curb drunk driving.
"Since 2010, when you look at alcohol-related crashes in New York state, they've pretty much flattened out. There's only so much you can do with awareness and you've got to find creative solutions," said Zack.
Zack says that 65 percent of the state's DWI arrests happen upstate, as opposed to the 24 percent in the New York City area, where ride-sharing is legal.
"If it's good for New York City, why isn't it good for all of upstate?" asked Zack. "We feel with the ride-sharing option, people will be more responsible than they already are."
"We are not in New York City where there are cabs at every corner, on every street. This is easily something that could come to Western New York and it would work," said Deanna Russo.
Russo has been speaking out against drunk driving since her sister Karen was killed by a drunk driver in 1998. She says ride-sharing is not a be-all, end all solution for impaired driving, but it can only help.
"Anything that's going to be more convenient, anything that's going to give another option, let's try it out and see," said Russo.
Both Russo and Zack agree it's the simplicity of ride-sharing that would reduce drunk driving numbers.
"The ease of using the app, the quickness in which the ride-sharer rides actually show up, I think it's just ease of access," said Zack.
"For people that are out at the bars and out at the parties, the phones are connected to them like another piece of their person so anything that gives them another option, let's try it out," said Russo.