Friends don't let friends drive drunk on St. Patrick's Day

March 13, 2008

Designate a sober driver before celebrating the March 17th holiday

Wearing green clothing, singing "Danny Boy," and a host of other St. Patrick's Day traditions will be prevalent on March 17. But unfortunately, St. Patrick's Day celebrations may turn to tragedies if people drive while impaired by alcohol.

Last year in Wisconsin, the St. Patrick's Day weekend was deadly with nine people killed in eight traffic crashes on Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18. Five of the eight fatal crashes involved alcohol, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

"Someone is killed or injured in an alcohol-related crash every 90 minutes in Wisconsin," says Dennis Hughes, chief of safety programs for the Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety. "Drunken driving is a serious offense, and law enforcement officers don't give warnings or second chances to drivers who are impaired. There are more than 40,000 drunken driving convictions in Wisconsin each year, and for nearly three out of four of these drunken drivers it was their first conviction."

Instead of risking an arrest for impaired driving on St. Patrick's Day or even worse-killing or injuring yourself or someone else-the Wisconsin State Patrol offers the following suggestions:

• Before you start partying, choose a sober designated driver.
• If you're feeling buzzed, you probably are over the 0.08 (alcohol concentration) limit and should not drive.
• Take mass transit, a taxicab or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Some taverns and restaurants have programs to provide patrons with a safe ride home. (Visit www.tlw.org for more information). In the Milwaukee area, Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee County Transit System and Milwaukee Irish Fest are again teaming up to provide free bus service on St. Patrick's Day starting at 6 p.m. (Visit http://millerfreerides.com for more information).

For more information, contact:
Dennis Hughes, section chief, Bureau of Transportation Safety
(608) 267-9075, dennis.hughes@dot.state.wi.us