Free Lyft Rides Available For 2018 Holiday Season In DC

WASHINGTON, DC — The holidays are a time for friends, family, and loved ones. But if you plan on celebrating with some alcohol, don't get behind the wheel. Instead, arrange for a designated driver, taxi, or a ride sharing service to get you home.

The nonprofit organization Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) will again partner with Lyft, the popular ride sharing company, to provide a SoberRide service to the D.C. metro area during the holiday season.

"Last December, nearly 2,000 (1,838) Greater Washington residents did the right thing and availed themselves of this lifesaving service rather than possibly driving home impaired," Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAP's president, said in a statement. "For SoberRide's hours of operation on New Year's alone, this level of ridership (1,225) translated into SoberRide removing a would-be drunk driver from Greater Washington's roadways nearly every 23 seconds."

Rides will be available from Friday, Dec. 14 until Monday, Dec. 31 — between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. SoberRide will be offered throughout Lyft's Washington, D.C. coverage area, which includes all or parts of the District; Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties in Virginia, plus the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park; and Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland.

Residents 21 and older can enter the SoberRide promo code in the Lyft app to receive a $15 credit. The offer is good for all Lyft users. Promo codes will be posted on SoberRide.com Dec. 14, 22, and 31.

"Lyft is proud of the role ride sharing has played in reducing impaired driving across the nation. Here in the DC area, partnering with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program allows us to take our commitment to providing safe, convenient, and affordable transportation a step further, particularly during times of the year when people are out celebrating and in need of a ride home," said Lyft Mid-Atlantic General Manager Steve Taylor.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 885 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver across the U.S. in December 2017. SoberRide said it has provided 73,510 free safe rides home to keep impaired drivers off roads in the D.C. region since 1991. The program is also offered on St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, and Halloween.

Image via Renee Schiavone/Patch