With plenty of Halloween festivities planned in Arlington this weekend, a local nonprofit is again providing a way for bar-goers to get home safely, for free.
The Washington Regional Alcohol Program will be offering its SoberRide free taxi service from 10 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday.
Those who want to take advantage of the free service must call a cab at 1-800-200-TAXI (8294) during those times.
From a press release:
As a means of making the Washington-metropolitan area’s roadways a little less frightening this Halloween, free cab rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout Arlington County, Virginia this Saturday evening, October 29th.
Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2016 Halloween SoberRide® program will be in operation at 10:00 pm on Saturday, October 29th and operate until 6:00 am on Sunday, October 30th as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk period.
During this eight-hour period, area residents ages 21 and older celebrating with alcohol may call the toll-free SoberRide® phone number 1-800-200-TAXI (8294) and be afforded a no-cost (up to a $30 fare), safe way home. AT&T wireless customers can dial #WRAP for the same service.
Last year, 412 persons in the Washington-metropolitan area used WRAP’s Halloween SoberRide® program rather than possibly driving home impaired. The charity also offers its SoberRide® program on St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day and the winter holidays this year starting on December 16th and operating through and including New Year’s Eve.
Local taxicab companies throughout the Washington-metropolitan area provide this no-cost service to local residents age 21 and older who otherwise may attempt to drive home after drinking.
SoberRide® is offered in the: District of Columbia; throughout the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s; and throughout the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, (eastern) Loudoun and Prince William.
“The scary fact is that over half (52%*) of all U.S. traffic deaths during Halloween involve drunk drivers,” said Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAP’s President.
Sponsors of this year’s Independence Day SoberRide® campaign include AAA Mid-Atlantic, Anheuser-Busch, Brown-Forman, Constellation Brands, Diageo, District of Columbia Association of Beverage Alcohol Wholesalers, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, Giant Food, Glory Days Grill, MillerCoors, Red Top Cab of Arlington, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, Volkswagen Group of America and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association.
Participating taxicab companies include: Alexandria Yellow Cab; Barwood; Fairfax Yellow Cab; Loudoun Yellow Cab; Northern Virginia Checker Cab; Red Top Cab; Silver Cab of Prince George’s County; Yellow Cab of D.C.; and Yellow Cab of Prince William County.
Since 1993, WRAP’s SoberRide® program has provided 65,219 free cab 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 historically keeping the metro-Washington area’s alcohol-related traffic deaths lower than the national average.
More information about WRAP’s SoberRide® initiative can be found at www.soberride.com.