Natrona County party-goers maybe driving themselves into a DUI charge, instead of having someone else drive them out of one...and there's numbers that can back that up.

Detective John Hatcher with the Casper Police Department says the number of Safe Ride vouchers handed out, have plummeted in the past six months.

Numbers dropped from 101 vouchers that were handed out in February, to 52 in June, to 36 in July.

Hatcher says police don't know why the number of people using Safe Ride vouchers have dropped, but a trend has been spotted when DUI arrests are made.

"A lot of our DUI's, they're not that high a level over the .08, and that's the most dangerous DUI's that are out there, is when people don't really believe they are not impaired. 'Hey I'm fine to drive.'"

David Reed with Poplar Wine and Spirits says it's normal for the voucher numbers to drop in the summer months, because not as many people are going to drinking establishments.

However, he adds that awareness of the Safe Ride program, may have dropped as well...especially with those people coming in from out of town.

"We're going to get some fliers made up and we're going to give them to the various hotels, where people who are checking in for long term stays that are maybe working in the oil field or something like that, that are not aware of the program, we're going to try to make them aware of it, prior to them going to a drinking establishment."

Police say the number of DUI arrests in Casper, from June to July, were about the same, but those numbers are up by 20 each month, compared to the same time last year.

Editor's Note: It was originally reported that 19 vouchers had been used in July, but it is now 36. Bad information was provided.

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