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Nearly 400 SoberRides Provided On July 4 - Alexandria News.org

July 12, 2010
Posted By: Chris On July 5, 2010 @ 9:45 am

American flags line Commonwealth Avenue (Photo: Chris Newsham)

The Washington-metropolitan area’s SoberRide program provided 389 free cab rides home to would-be drunk drivers this Independence Day. The local program removed a would-be drunk driver every 74 seconds. SoberRide began yesterday at  10 p.m. and ended at 6 a.m. today the traditionally high-risk holiday.

“For SoberRide’s hours of operation this Independence Day, this level of ridership translates into the removal of a would-be drunk driver from Greater Washington’s roadways every 74-seconds,” said Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAP’s President.

The level of last night’s SoberRide use represents a 17.52% increase in SoberRide ridership over last year. During SoberRide’s eight-hour period this Independence Day, area residents celebrating with alcohol could 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.

SoberRide was offered in the: District of Columbia; throughout the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s; and throughout the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William. Sponsors of this year’s Independence Day SoberRide offering included AT&T, Anheuser-Busch, Diageo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, ExxonMobil, GEICO, Red Top Cab of Arlington and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association. In addition, a recently successful fundraising campaign to ensure the charity-run program included contributions from the Beer Institute, Capitol Outdoor, GEICO, MillerCoors, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, The Century Council and Washington Wholesalers. Read the full Story