As a direct response to the Independence Day being that U. s. holiday when more than half (51%) of all traffic deaths are alcohol related*, a local non-profit group will be offering free cab rides to would-be drunk drivers throughout Alexandria, Virginia this Fourth of July.
Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the Independence Day SoberRide program will be in operation beginning at 4:00 pm on Friday, July 4th and continue until 4:00 am the following day (7/5) as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk, holiday period.
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.
Last Independence Day, 253 persons in Greater Washington did the right thing and availed themselves of this potentially lifesaving service rather than driving home possibly impaired, said Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAPs President. For SoberRides house of operation last July 4th, this translated into the removal of a would-be drunk driver from Greater Washingtons roadways every three-minute.
SoberRide is offered in the District of Columbia, throughout the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince Georges, and throughout the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, (eastern) Loudoun, and Prince William.
Sponsors of this years Independence Day SoberRide offering include AT&T, Anheuser-Busch, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, Exxon Mobile, GEICO, and Red Top Cab of Arlington.
Participating taxicab companies include: Alexandria Yellow Cab, Barwood: Fairfax Yellow Cab; Loudoun Yellow Cab; Manassas Cab Company; Red Top Cab; Silver Cab of Prince Georges County, Taxi Transportation Services; and Yellow Cab of Prince William County.
Since 1993, WRAPs SoberRide program has provided 40,844 free cab rides home to would be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area.
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 metropolitan area. Through public education, innovative health education programs, and advocacy, WRAP is credited with keep the metro-Washington areas alcohol-related traffic deaths consistently lower than the national average. WRAP, however, may best be known to area residents via the organizations popular free cab ride service for would-be drunk drivers, SoberRide.
