To say that Uber has been struggling a little in the public relations department over recent months could probably be considered an understatement. As the company seeks to address issues of poorly-vetted drivers, they’ve launched one campaign we can probably all get behind: offering Toronto’s drunk revelers a free ride home if they blow over the limit at an Uber Safe roadside kiosk.
The kiosks are the product of a collaboration with Rethink, a Canadian creative agency, and fabrication studio Stacklab. The brightly-lit, eye-catching kiosks offer party-goers a straw that they can affix into the unit, blow into for six seconds and then the breathalyzer will indicate whether it detects a blood alcohol content over the legal limit, and offer the option of a free ride home.
Of course, the whole thing is largely a PR campaign, and there’s something slightly peculiar when watching the video as people cheer and giggle their way through a breathalyzer test. But those issues aside, it does provide a safer path home for inebriated folks who might otherwise be inclined to drive, walk or generally stumble around looking for a cab.