Free Cab Rides for Cinco de Mayo: Don't Drink and Drive

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- For some area residents, May 5 – Cinco de Mayo – is simply an excuse to chug margaritas and tequila.

The Washington Regional Alcohol Program is offering free cab rides Thursday night and early Friday morning for those who have partied too much during the Cinco de Mayo celebration. The Cinco de Mayo SoberRide program will be offered from 4 p.m. Thursday until 4 a.m. Friday.

“According to government figures, over a third of U.S. highway deaths on Cinco de Mayo involve drunk drivers,” said Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAP’s president. “Worse, nearly a fifth of these drivers involved in fatal crashes had blood alcohol concentration levels of .15 or higher.”

Call this number: To receive a free cab ride home (up to a $30 fare), call 800-200-8294 (TAXI). If you're an AT&T customer, you can dial #WRAP from your wireless phone.

You must be 21 or older to use the SoberRide service. Also, all requests for SoberRide service must be called to and dispatched from 1-800-200-8294. Do not call a taxi company directly for SoberRide service as the ride will not be covered under this program.

More SoberRide information

• Since 1993, WRAP has provided more than 64,891 safe rides home. Currently, SoberRide operates during the December/January holiday season, St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day and Halloween.
• The program covers the DC metro area. All calls must originate in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland; the cities of Rockville, Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt and Takoma Park in Maryland; the District of Columbia; Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Eastern Loudoun counties in Virginia; and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park in Virginia.
• You cannot reserve a SoberRide or schedule a pickup in advance. To receive a ride, you must call 1-800-200-8294 (TAXI) during the program hours. A SoberRide call operator will direct your request to the correct participating cab company.

Participating Taxi Companies are:
Alexandria Yellow Cab (Alexandria)
Barwood, Inc. (Montgomery County)
Fairfax Yellow Cab (Fairfax County)
Loudoun Yellow Cab (Eastern Loudoun County)
Northern Virginia Checker (Prince William County)
Red Top Cab Company (Arlington County)
Silver Cab of Prince George's County (Prince George's County)
Yellow Cab of District of Columbia (District of Columbia)
Yellow Cab of Prince William County (Prince William County)

When waiting for a SoberRide, please watch for a cab from the participating taxi company in the area from which you are calling.