The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently getting the word out about their St. Patrick’s Day roadway safety campaign. Unfortunately, this popular holiday is typically associated with a spike in drunk-driving related crashes every year. In fact, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays on U.S. roadways. This year, the NHTSA is urging partygoers to make a plan for a safe ride home before they start in on the green beer.

St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Driving Stats

During the 2012-2016 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6:00 p.m. March 16to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 269 people were killed in drunk driving crashes.

In 2016 alone, 60 people (39 percent of all crash fatalities) were killed in drunk driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period.

Between midnight and 5:59 a.m. on March 18, 2016, almost three-fourths (69 percent) of crash fatalities involved a drunk driver.

In 2016, 36 percent of pedestrians killed in crashes had blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of .08 or higher.

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

Officials with the NHTSA want motorists to know that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Even one drink can be one drink too many. If you plan on consuming alcohol, you need to get a safe ride home, because even small amounts can impair your ability to safely drive. It’s not worth risking your life over a few beers.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

This holiday weekend, law enforcement officers in North Carolina and across the nation will be out in full force. If you get behind the wheel after drinking, you’re not just putting your life and the lives of others in danger, you’re also risking getting arrested. Even if you don’t cause a wreck, a drunk driving arrest can cost thousands of dollars and your good reputation.

Drunk Driving Accidents in Asheville

This year, celebrate with a plan. Make sure you have a safe ride home before the St. Patrick’s Day festivities begin. If your initial ride falls through, have a backup plan. Whatever you do, don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking. The team at Davis Law Group, P.A. wishes everybody a Safe and Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and if a drunk driver has injured you or a loved one, contact our office at 828-303-2842 for a free case consultation.