Free St. Patrick’s Day Lyft Rides Offered Throughout Greater Washington to Prevent Drunk Driving
NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF NIGHTTIME U.S. TRAFFIC DEATHS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ST. PATRICK’S DAY INVOLVE DRUNK DRIVERS
Washington, DC, March 2 — Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly two-thirds (63%) of nighttime U.S. traffic deaths involve drunk drivers,* a local nonprofit organization announced today that free safe rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington-metropolitan area during this month’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® program will be in operation beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day) and operate until 4:00 a.m. on Friday, March 18th as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk period.
During this twelve-hour period, area residents ages 21 and older celebrating with alcohol may download the Lyft app to their phones, then enter the SoberRide® code in the app’s “Payment” tab (under the “Add Lyft Pass” option) to receive their no-cost (up to $15) safe transportation home. WRAP’s 2022 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® promo code will be posted at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 17th on www.SoberRide.com.
“Nearly two-thirds of nighttime U.S. traffic deaths immediately following St. Patrick’s Day involve drunk drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” said WRAP President Kurt Erickson.
During the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day campaign (COVID-19 eliminated the 2020 campaign and limited last year’s offering), nearly 700 (697) persons in the Washington-metropolitan area used WRAP’s SoberRide® program rather than possibly driving home impaired – the second highest level of ridership for St. Patrick’s Day in SoberRide’s 31-year history. The charity also offers its SoberRide® program on Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Halloween and the winter holidays through and including New Year’s Eve.
“Lyft is dedicated to providing access to reliable and responsible rides, and we’re proud to partner with programs like WRAP to offer Lyft as an alternative to impaired driving,” said Kamillah Wood, Director of Public Policy for Community Safety at Lyft. “Through our Roadway Safety Program and our partnerships with the public, we hope to empower our community with the tools to protect themselves and those around them this holiday season.”
SoberRide® is offered throughout Lyft’s Washington D.C. coverage area which includes all or parts of: the District of Columbia; the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s and towns therein plus the cities of Bowie, College Park, District Heights, Gaithersburg. Glenarden, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Laurel, Mount Ranier, New Carrollton, Rockville, Seat Pleasant and Takoma Park; and the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and towns therein plus the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.
Sponsors of WRAP’s 2022 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® campaign include the 395 Express Lanes, Amazon, Anheuser-Busch, Beer Institute, Brown-Forman, Constellation Brands, District of Columbia Association of Beverage Alcohol Wholesalers, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Foundation of Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, Giant Food, Glory Days Grill, Kendall-Jackson, Lyft, Molson Coors Beverage Company, New Belgium Brewing, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association. WRAP’s 2022 Partner SoberRide® Sponsors include the Maryland Highway Safety Office/Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Since 1991, WRAP’s SoberRide® program has provided 81,645 free safe rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area.
Founded in 1982, the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is a coalition of diverse interests using effective education, innovative programs and targeted advocacy to end alcohol-impaired driving and underage drinking in the Washington, DC metro area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with keeping the metro-Washington area’s alcohol-related traffic deaths historically lower than the national average.
More information about WRAP’s SoberRide® initiative can be found at www.SoberRide.com.
*Source National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/sites/tsm.gov/files/2022-01/15488b-St.PatricksDay_BuzzedDriving_FactSheet_122221_v2_tag.docx