Today is St. Patrick’s Day and it is one of the biggest drinking nights of the year.  This, unfortunately, means more drunk drivers on the roads. If you plan to drink alcohol, plan a sober ride home. Review these facts and share the word about the dangers of drunk driving so you can continue merry-making for all the St. Paddy’s Days to come.

• St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times on our nation’s roads. During the 2015-2019 St. Patrick’s Day period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 280 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes. In 2019, drunk driving killed more than 10,000 people in our country, and every single one of those deaths was preventable. Do your part this St. Patrick’s Day: If you drink, plan a sober ride.

• In 2019 alone, 57 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18).

• Between the hours of midnight and 5:59 a.m. over the St. Patrick’s Day period in 2019, more than half (63%) of crash fatalities involved a drunk driver.

• Walking home after a night out drinking alcohol? In 2019, 32 percent of the pedestrians killed in traffic crashes had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above .08. Arrange for a sober ride or for a sober friend to walk you home.

• Remember that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. It is illegal and deadly to drink and drive. For some, even one drink may be one drink too many.

• Despite the fact that it’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2019, one person was killed every 52 minutes by a drunk driver on our nation’s roads.

The Cost of Drunk Driving

• On average, a DUI can set you back $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, and more.

• The financial impact from impaired-driving crashes is devastating. Based on 2010 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually.

• If you’re caught drinking and driving, you can face jail time. Imagine trying to explain that to your friends and family or your place of employment.

• Drinking and driving can cause you to lose your driver’s license and your vehicle. This could keep you from getting to work, resulting in lost wages and, potentially, job loss.

Plan a Sober Ride

Always remember to plan ahead if you will be celebrating. If you plan to drink, plan a sober ride to get you home and live to be Irish another day. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously and do not consume alcohol, not even one drink.

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver who does not plan to drink any alcohol, or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.

• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 911 immediately.

• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information about the Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving campaign, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.