WASHINGTON — Editor's note: The footage above was originally aired in May 2018.
Cinco de Mayo is here, and we know many Washingtonians will use it as a day to go out to celebrate, eat lots of food, and drink margaritas. But here's an important tip to remember: drive sober or get pulled over.
Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is partnering up with Lyft to reduce drunk driving Thursday as people celebrate Cinco de Mayo. WRAP is a nonprofit organization founded in 1982, based in Falls Church, that works with local governments to try to end drunk driving and underage drinking in the D.C. metro area.
“Over a third of U.S. traffic deaths during Cinco de Mayo involve drunk drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” said WRAP President Kurt Erickson.
Beginning at 4 p.m., on May 5, anyone 21 and older can download the Lyft app and enter the SoberRide code in the app's "Payment" tab, which is located under the "Add Lyft Pass" option. The promo code will be posted on SoberRide's website at exactly 3 p.m. on Cinco De Mayo.
The promo code is valid for one free ride home in the D.C. area (up to $15), with the offer ending at 4 a.m. Friday (May 6).
Washington Regional Alcohol Program's SoberRide initiative is offered throughout the Washington D.C. coverage area which includes:
- Bowie
- College Park
- District Heights
- Gaithersburg
- Glenarden
- Greenbelt
- Hyattsville
- Laurel
- Mount Rainier
- New Carrollton
- Rockville
- Seat Pleasant
- Takoma Park
- Arlington
- Fairfax
- Loudoun
- Prince William
- Alexandria
- Fairfax
- Falls Church
- Manassas
- Manassas Park
“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.
WRAP's SoberRide program has provided over 80,000 free safe rides home to possible drunk drivers since 1991 in the Greater Washington area. The organization offers residents in the area a safer way of getting home from a night of celebrating and drinking alcohol on occasions like Independence Day, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day and during the December and January holiday season.
And before you head out the door to celebrate, take a minute to bone up on the history of the day. Many Americans either do not know why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated or think it is Mexico’s Independence Day.
Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's independence day, which is celebrated on Sept. 16. May 5 honors the Mexican Army’s win over the French in 1862.
Mexico was having trouble paying back debts it racked up during the war, and the French came to collect. Mexico was the underdog in that battle, therefore, it was a big deal when the country won.
