Free St. Patrick's Day Lyft Rides Available To Prevent Drunk Driving

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly one-third of all U.S. traffic deaths are caused by drunk drivers, free Lyft rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington metropolitan area on Friday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day).

Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2017 St. Patty’s Day SoberRide program will start operations at 4 p.m. Friday and continue until 4 a.m. Saturday as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday.

During this 12-hour period, area residents celebrating with alcohol may download Lyft to their phones, then enter the code SOBERRIDE in the app's Promo section to receive their no-cost (up to $20) safe transportation home. The SoberRide code is valid for new and existing Lyft users. Limited quantities are available.

Last year, 250 people in the Washington area used WRAP’s St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide program rather than possibly driving home impaired. The charity also offers SoberRide on Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Halloween and the winter holidays this year.

Lyft will provide SoberRide trips to residents 21 and older. 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 the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, as well as the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church.

For more information about WRAP’s SoberRide initiative, click here.

Release: Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP)

Image: Patch archive (by Wendy Mitchell)