This Halloween, patrons at select Arlington restaurants will be praised not for the creativity of their costumes, but for getting home safely.
Designated sober drivers will be publicly recognized this Friday night by Checkpoint Strikeforce and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) as part of an anti-drunk driving campaign.
From 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., representatives from the campaign will be outside three Clarendon nightspots to thank designated drivers and those who choose to take public transportation, a taxi or ride sharing service home.
The three restaurants that will be reference points for the “surprise and delight” thanking events are:
- Clarendon Ballroom at 3185 Wilson Blvd.
- Spider Kelly’s at 3181 Wilson Blvd.
- Don Tito at 3165 Wilson Blvd.
This year’s campaign is aimed at stopping people ages 21 to 35 from drinking and driving. According to a release, 36 percent of highway fatalities in Virginia last year were alcohol-related, and more than 40 percent of people killed in alcohol-related crashes were within the campaign’s target age range.
Festive holidays, like this weekend’s Halloween celebration, often see a spike in DUI-related incidents.
WRAP will also offer free taxi rides on Saturday through its SoberRide program.
File photo