Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services has partnered with local restaurants and bars by distributing beverage coasters in the hopes of reducing incidents of impaired driving this holiday season.
These coasters have QR codes on them, according to the ABS, which will guide people to a virtual list of alternative rides to use to get home safely after drinking.
ABS officials stated the QR coded coasters have the phrase “Had one too many? Scan for Ride,” imprinted on them and are distributed free of charge to bars and restaurants in the county.
The list contains contact information for Uber, Lyft and taxicab services, as well as public transport such as the MetroBus, the MetroRail and the RideOn Bus.
Additionally, the online list also includes the Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s SoberRide initiative, which offers discounted rides during the holiday season this year, beginning from 10 p.m. Friday until 4 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2023.
The SoberRide program also operates on other special events such as St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day and Halloween, according to the WRAP’s official website.
“As people get ready to celebrate the holiday season, we encourage them to make a plan for a safe ride home if they decide to drink,” said ABS Director Kathie Durbin in a statement. “Drunk driving is a threat to our community and keeping our community safe is everyone’s responsibility.”
Montgomery County police arrested a total of 190 people for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, according to its Alcohol Holiday Taskforce’s fifth week of detection. Four police cruisers over the past five weeks were struck by impaired drivers, a Tuesday police news release stated.
ABS officials stated that businesses that have an interest in participating in the coaster program can contact the organization at ABSLicensing@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov.