More than 200 students got a free, safe ride home last Friday night courtesy of NIU’s Late Night Ride Service, University Police Lt. Matthew Kiederlen said.

At this time last year, an average of 75 students used the service. Currently, there are more than 1,000 riders each month.

Kiederlen said the surge in usage could be attributed to an increased awareness of the program and the continued growth of NIU’s student population.

Students should not hesitate to request a ride, he said.

“It’s safe, convenient and free,” he said. “It curbs the potential for crime because every time we pick up somebody who is drunk, we eliminate one person driving intoxicated or possibly walking down a street and becoming a victim of a crime because they are intoxicated.”

Students can request to be picked up free of charge from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. seven days a week by calling 753-2222. The service is fully funded by UP and employs nine security guards. Wait times often are more than 30 minutes on weekends, according to Kiederlen.

Junior accounting major Jessie Murabito said she recommends the service to anyone who has had too much to drink.

“All of my experiences with them have been positive,” she said. “They are a great resource to have on campus, especially when people are at fraternity parties and stuff like that. If you choose to go out to parties, it’s a safe way to get back home without having to worry about you or one of your friends drinking and driving.”

Murabito said the UP never has bothered her about being intoxicated.

“They are professional,” she said. “They get the information they need from you, but they don’t pry into what you were doing. They just take you where you want to go.”

Kiederlen said intoxicated underage students can use the service without fear of citation.

“If we have someone who is underage who has managed to get themselves into a situation where they are intoxicated enough that they are not in control anymore, they are obviously not going to be making good decisions,” he said. “Now, they have managed to make a decent decision on calling and asking for a ride, and it’s our feeling that we are helping more people by getting them where they need to be safely and without driving.”

Kiederlen said he has heard students call the service the “drunk bus,” but he doesn’t care what nickname students use as long as they call when in need.

“It doesn’t matter what people want to call it,” he said. “It’s immaterial to what the overall mission of the bus is, which is to keep people as safe as possible.”