Free cab rides offered Wednesday
Preparing to combat that time of year when 37-percent of all traffic deaths are alcohol related*, free cab rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout Prince William County, Virginia next Wednesday, March 17th.
Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the St. Patty’s Day SoberRide program will be in operation beginning at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day) and continue until 4:00 am the following day 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 call the toll-free SoberRide phone number 1 – 800 – 200 – TAXI and be afforded a no-cost (up to a $ 50 fare), safe way home.
AT&T wireless customers can dial # - TAXI for the same service. Local taxicab companies throughout the Washington-metropolitan area provide this no-cost service to local residents age 21 and older who otherwise may have attempted to drive home after drinking.
“On Saint Patrick’s Day in this country, over a third of all traffic deaths are caused by drunk drivers,” said Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAP’s President.
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.
Last St. Patrick’s Day (2009), 403 persons used WRAP’s SoberRide service rather than possibly driving home impaired. (Such represented a nearly 85-percent [84.86%, 218 > 403 rides] increase in SoberRide ridership from that in 2008 according to WRAP.)
Sponsors of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide offering include Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Diageo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, Red Top Cab and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association.
In addition, nine of the Washington-metropolitan area’s better-known Irish restaurants have also united to ensure a safe St. Patrick’s Day celebration this year by sponsoring SoberRide. These dining establishments include: Daniel O’Connell’s Restaurant (VA); The Dubliner Restaurant & Pub (DC); Fado (DC); Irish Channel Restaurant (DC); Irish Inn at Glen Echo (MD); Kelly's Irish Times (DC); Martin's Tavern est. 1933 (DC); Murphy’s Grand Irish Pubs (DC & VA) and Sine Irish Pub (VA).
Participating taxicab companies include: Alexandria Yellow Cab; Barwood; Fairfax Yellow Cab; Loudoun Yellow Cab; Manassas Cab Company; Red Top Cab; Silver Cab of Prince George’s County; Yellow Cab of D.C.; and Yellow Cab of Prince William County.
Founded in 1982, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program is an award-winning public-private partnership working to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with keeping the metro-Washington area’s alcohol-related traffic deaths consistently lower than the national average.
Since 1993, WRAP’s SoberRide program has provided 47,813 free cab rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area.
For more information, visit www.soberride.com