St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States extend as far back as the American colonial period. Today, it is one of our nation’s most popular holidays, celebrated with festivals, parades, and parties. These celebrations frequently feature themed cocktails and green pints, and the amount of alcohol consumed on this holiday is higher than average. People are more likely to make poor decisions as a result, including driving while intoxicated. To spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving and to help keep your community’s streets safe, Texas A&M AgriL- ife Extension Office and Watch UR BAC are teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Remember before and throughout the celebrations: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
St. Patrick’s Day can be a dangerous day on America’s roads due to increased alcohol consumption and drunk driving. There were 272 lives lost in drunk-driving crashes over the holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18) between 2017 and 2021. Though drunk-driving fatalities are more likely to occur at night, drunk driving puts people’s lives in danger at any time of the day. During that same period, there were 31 daytime drunk-driving fatalities.
“Because St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, we anticipate that alcohol consumption will increase both on that day and throughout the weekend. We ask everyone to celebrate responsibly. That should begin even before you go out to celebrate by deciding who will be your sober designated driver or whether you’ll be using a ride-sharing service or taxi,” said county extension agent, Ja’Shae Carter.
