Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the top 10 most popular drinking holidays. While this is a fun and festive holiday that many Irish and Americans celebrate, bar crawls, parties, and fun celebrations can also be a recipe for disaster if even one person decides to drink and drive.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2016, 60 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Paddy’s Day holiday period. Between 2016 and 2020, 287 people lost their lives in drunk-driving collisions over the holiday period. During the 2020 St Patrick's Day period, 36% of motor vehicle crash fatalities involved drunk drivers. This is an unfortunate reality for this holiday and one that is preventable if you are prepared. 

Tips for Safely Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day:

• Transportation - Selecting a designated driver is a great way to make sure you and others make it to-and-from events safely when drinking. If you can't find a designated driver, consider ride sharing such as Uber or Lyft, or even local transportation. 
• Share your location - tell your most trusted friends and family where you plan to be just in case you are involved in an accident and are unable to contact them. Many smartphones allow you to share your phone's location with friends or family so it is one less worry for them and you!
• Know your limit - Knowing how much alcohol you can safely consume before becoming impaired and irrational can save your life and the lives of others.
• Practice defensive driving - even if you do not plan to celebrate, make sure you are attentive while driving. Just because you are sober, does not mean other drivers are.
• Speak up and step in - Many people, even friends, may insist they are "fine to drive" when they are not. Keep track of your friends alcohol consumption, do not let them get behind the wheel.

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