Photo by Alex_Fotos courtesy of Pixabay
St. Patrick's Day is March 17.
Preparing to combat that time of the year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures, more than one-third (34%) 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 on St. Patrick’s Day.
The free rides include Alexandria and the surrounding DC metro area (see full list at bottom of page).
Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2026 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® program will be in operation beginning at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) and operate until 4 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18 as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk period.
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 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® code will be posted at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 on www.SoberRide.com.
“Over a third of U.S. traffic fatalities during St. Patrick’s 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, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Halloween and the winter holidays through and including New Year’s.
“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 partnership 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 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® campaign include 395 Express Lanes, Anheuser-Busch, Beer Institute, Brown-Forman, Chesapeake Region Safety Council, Constellation Brands, Diageo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, Giant Food, Lyft, Molson Coors Beverage Company, New Belgium Brewing, 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 Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
In addition, four 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: The Dubliner Restaurant & Pub (DC); Ireland’s Four Courts (Va.); Martin’s Tavern Est. 1933 (DC); and O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub (Va.).
Since 1991, WRAP’s SoberRide® program has provided 102,515 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®.
