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Blue Margarita
Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than a third (38%, 2024) of U.S. traffic deaths involve drunk drivers,* a local nonprofit organization announced Monday that free safe rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington-metropolitan area during next month’s Independence Day celebrations.
Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2026 Independence Day SoberRide® program will be in operation beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4 (Independence Day) and operates until 4 a.m. on Sunday, July 5 as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday.
During this 12-hour period, area residents ages 21 and older celebrating with alcohol may download the Lyft app to their phones then enter the SoberRide code in the app’s ‘Payment’ tab (under the ‘Add Lyft Pass’ option) to receive their no-cost (up to $15) safe transportation home. WRAP’s 2026 Independence Day SoberRide® promo code will be posted at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 on www.SoberRide.com.
“Nearly 40-percent of U.S. traffic fatalities during Independence Day involve drunk drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” said Kurt Erickson, WRAP’s president.
WRAP also offers its SoberRide® program on Super Bowl Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Halloween and the winter holidays through and including New Year’s Eve.
“Lyft is dedicated to providing access to reliable and responsible rides, and we’re proud to partner with programs like WRAP to offer Lyft as an alternative to impaired driving,” said Kamillah Wood, director of Public Policy for Community Safety at Lyft. “Through our Roadway Safety Program and our partnerships with the public we hope to empower our community with the tools to protect themselves and those around them this holiday season.”
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 towns therein, plus the cities of Bowie, College Park, District Heights, Gaithersburg, Glenarden, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Laurel, Mount Ranier, New Carrollton, Rockville, Seat Pleasant and Takoma Park; and the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and towns therein plus the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.
Sponsors of WRAP’s 2026 Independence Day SoberRide® campaign include the 396 Express Lanes, Anheuser-Busch, Beer Institute, Brown-Forman, Chesapeake Region Safety Council, Constellation Brands, Diageo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Giant Food, Lyft, Molson Coors Beverage Company, New Belgium Brewing, Responsibility.org, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association. WRAP’s 2026 Public Partner SoberRide Sponsors include the District of Columbia Highway Safety Office, Maryland Highway Safety Office/Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Since 1991, WRAP’s SoberRide® program has provided 103,987 free safe rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area.
Founded in 1982, the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) 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 helping to keep the annual percentage of metro-Washington traffic deaths involving alcohol-impaired driving historically lower than the national average. WRAP, however, may best be known to area residents via the organization’s popular free safe ride service to prevent drunk driving, SoberRide®.
More information about WRAP’s SoberRide® initiative can be found at www.soberride.com.
