Free Halloween Lyft Rides To Prevent Drunk Driving

WASHINGTON, DC — Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half (44 percent) of all U.S. traffic deaths involve drunk drivers, free Halloween Lyft rides will be offered to deter impaired driving throughout the Washington metropolitan area beginning Saturday, Oct. 27.

Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2018 Halloween SoberRide® program will be in operation beginning at 10 p.m. Oct. 27 and continue until 4 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday.

During this six-hour period, area residents 21 and older celebrating with alcoholic drinks may download Lyft to their phones, then enter a SoberRide® code in the app's “Promo” section to receive their no-cost (up to $15) safe transportation home. WRAP’s Halloween SoberRide® promo code will be posted at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 on www.SoberRide.com.

Last year, a record 715 people in the Washington-metro 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.

Last year, WRAP announced a partnership with the ridesharing service Lyft to provide WRAP’s SoberRide® service in the Washington-metropolitan area. SoberRide®, the popular free safe ride service to prevent drunk driving, is now solely available via the Lyft mobile app ridesharing platform.

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.

Sponsors of this year’s Halloween SoberRide® campaign include the 395 Express Lanes, AAA Mid-Atlantic, Anheuser-Busch, Brown-Forman, Constellation Brands, District of Columbia Association of Beverage Alcohol Wholesalers, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Giant Food, Glory Days Grill, Lyft, MillerCoors, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, Volkswagen Group of America and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association.

Since 1991, WRAP’s SoberRide® program has provided 73,123 free safe rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area. More information about WRAP’s SoberRide® initiative can be found at www.SoberRide.com.

Release: Washington Regional Alcohol Program

Image: Patch file