Car share company Uber has announced plans to launch an app that would specifically be targeted at eliminating the incidence of DUI among NFL athletes. According to the announcement, the company is partnering with the National Football League, in an effort to reduce widespread drunk driving among athletes.
Those incidences of NFL DUI have tarnished the already- shaky image of the National Football League, which is also dealing with a major brain injury scandal. Incidences of DUI have involved not just athletes, but also team executives.
According to the partnership, the initiative will provide safe and professional transportation for football players during the 2013-2014 NFL season. Drivers will connect athletes in more than 40 cities around the globe as part of the initiative. Uber Rides will allow NFL players to use smart phones to get in touch with reliable Uber drivers, and find one located close to them. The entire process can be completed in a matter of minutes.
According to Uber, the NFL will benefit from the service because members will have safe and discreet access to professional transportation whenever they need it, thereby avoiding the need to drive in an intoxicated and impaired state. The service is due to begin this month, and athletes will be able to summon drivers in more than 20 American NFL team cities. Using the app, an athlete can request a ride, and the driver will arrive within minutes.
The National Football League has recently increased its focus on DUI among players. The League is concerned not just with protecting players from the consequences of intoxicated driving that can include deadly car accidents, but also with repairing its image.
