Every year the middle of March brings a little bit of mayhem into everything — the NCAA tournament, spring fever, even the return of the minty shake at that famous fast-food restaurant.
But the one March event everyone particularly enjoys is St. Patrick’s Day.
For the Irish, (Over 32.7 Million in the US alone) it serves as an annual reminder of their family’s origins and the saint’s religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century.
The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years.
For most others it’s a celebration of all things green, often including parades, parties and the ubiquitous phrase, “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” slapped on all manner of seasonal novelty items.
In addition to the festivities, the reality is that drunk driving may be a concern during all holidays, St. Patrick’s Day included, and state and local law enforcement agencies take this very seriously.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18) from 2011 through 2015, there were 252 fatal auto accidents involving drunk drivers.
To keep the roads safe, many prevention and enforcement programs are employed across the country, including roving police patrols and alcohol checkpoints at various spots to catch drunk-driving offenders. The NHTSA recommends the below simple steps to help ensure a safe and festive holiday.
- Plan your own safe way home before the festivities begin.
- Designate a sober driver, leave your car keys at home. If you’re driving, commit to staying sober.
- Use public transportation, a local taxi or your community’s sober ride program.
- If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help get home safely.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, call local law enforcement.
Some Fun St. Patrick day facts!!
