In the past two years, demand for drive-home valet services has risen by up to 60 percent, reported The Straits Times. This according to seven valet companies that The Straits Times spoke to.
"We have seen a significant rise of between 50 and 60 percent for drive-home services since starting out about two years ago," said a spokesman for iDrive Valet Services. "Our customers are not just executives or business owners. We're also seeing a younger crowd, especially on Saturdays," she added.
There is now a growing pool of drinkers opting for such services to enjoy their night out while avoiding drink driving. Many valet companies attribute the growing demand to greater public awareness of the dangers of drink driving as well as stricter and more frequent law enforcement. "There are more roadblocks and Traffic Police operations now. Most people know that it is a serious offence, so they don't want to take the risk," said the iDrive Valet Services spokesman.
Stricter enforcement might well be having a deterrent effect. Last year, 2,297 people were arrested for drink driving, a 23 percent drop from 2,982 in 2014, Traffic Police figures show. Drink driving accidents fell 26.4 percent from 182 in 2014 to 134 last year.