NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Every New Year's Eve, there are many different agencies willing to take you home for free if you've had too much to drink, but Channel 4 wanted to know if these programs are really used.

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More than 150 volunteers with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office gave up their New Year's Eve to man phones, dispatch drivers and map out pick-up and drop-off locations, all part of their Sober Ride home program.

Over the past five years, they've helped provide safe rides home for more than 10,000 people.

Jess Cadwallender and his friends from Virginia drove 10 hours for Bash on Broadway.

“As soon as we got out of work, we came down to Nashville, Tenn., because this is where we want to be for New Year's,” Cadwallender said.

But when their night ends, they have a plan.

“What I plan on doing is taking a safe ride home,” said Cadwallender, who plans to call a cab.

Another option is the Sober Ride program.

“Sometimes you have people who can't tell you where they live,” said Karla Weikel, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.

Volunteers with the sheriff's office are there to pick you up and take you home.

The number of rides in a given year fluctuates, with the busiest New Years' Eve serving more than 2,600 party-goers. Last year, 1,421 were served.

Due to the growing numbers, downtown pick-up spots were added.

“If you look at the past 25 years that we've had Sober Ride, there's been one fatality during operation hours of Sober Ride,” said Weikel.

Another program is Tow-to-Go, which is sponsored by AAA and Budweiser. In 2007, AAA Auto Club South, which covers Florida, parts of Georgia and Nashville, received 1,652 calls on New Year's Eve alone.

“We can't prove it, but we say absolutely that a tragedy or many tragedies have been adverted by getting that many people off the road who've had too much to drink,” said Weikel.

This project is funded through the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Governor's Highway Safety Office and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

This is the 26th year the sheriff’s office has been taking calls and providing free rides home.

AAA’s Tow-to-Go program continues throughout the weekend. The number is 1-888-AAA-HELP.