WRAP Offers Free Lyft Rides to Alexandria Residents During Halloween Weekend
A nonprofit program provides credits for rides home to reduce drunk driving incidents in the D.C. region.
By Pedro Tanaka ·
Residents of Alexandria and the surrounding D.C. metro area can access free Lyft rides this Halloween weekend through a program designed to keep impaired drivers off the road. The Washington Regional Alcohol Program, a nonprofit organization, will distribute ride credits via the Lyft app from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on October 30 and 31. This initiative targets the high volume of alcohol consumption associated with the holiday.
Individuals aged 21 and older can redeem the offer by entering a specific code into the payment section of the Lyft app. Each code provides a credit of up to $15 for a single ride. The codes will become available on soberride.com at 9 p.m. on both nights of the event. The service operates within Lyft’s standard service areas, which encompass the City of Alexandria and portions of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties in Virginia. Coverage also extends to Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland and several Maryland cities.
WRAP president Kurt Erickson pointed to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics to explain the program's focus. He noted that 29.2 percent of traffic fatalities in the United States in 2024 involved a drunk driver. Erickson added that the risk is higher for younger demographics, stating that 54 percent of 21 to 34-year-olds killed in U.S. traffic crashes between 2019 and 2024 were involved in incidents with drunk drivers.
The SoberRide program has a long history in the region. Last year, 4,056 people in the D.C. region used the service during Halloween. Since 1991, WRAP has provided more than 100,000 safe rides home. The organization also operates similar programs during other high-risk periods, including Super Bowl Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, and the winter holidays through New Year’s. WRAP is currently participating in Red Ribbon Week at Alexandria City Public Schools, a national drug prevention campaign running from October 23 to 31.
Source: ALXnow
