This Saint Patrick’s Day, Plan Before You Party!

Saint. Patrick’s Day Is Fun – But Deadly.

 

  • Widely celebrated across America, Saint Patrick’s Day has become a deadly holiday because more drunk and wrong way drivers and take to the highways.
  • The Saint. Patrick’s Day holiday period (March 16 to March 18) from 2011 to 2015 saw the loss of 252 lives due to drunk-driving crashes, according Gordon Fox owner of 2Pass Defensive Driving.
  • In 2015, alone, 30 people (25% of all crash fatalities) were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the Saint Patrick’s Day holiday period. During post-party hours, between midnight and 5:59 a.m., nearly a third of deaths involved drunk drivers.
  • Drunk driving and wrong way driving kill more than 10,000 Americans each year every single one of those tragic deaths is preventable.
  • Planning ahead is the key to staying safe after you’ve been drinking. Before the party starts, make a plan for how to get home safely and to stay out of jail. Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Alcohol and Driving Don’t Mix.

  • There’s no such thing as being “OK to Drive.” Just one or two drinks can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, causing a crash and killing yourself or someone else—if you get behind the wheel. A standard drink is
  • Many factors determine the effect alcohol has on your body, and it can vary from person to person depending on factors such as your weight and when and what you last ate. But in general if you have one standard drink you should wait two hours before you get behind the wheel. For Beer (approx. 5% alcohol, check the label) one 12 oz. bottle is one standard drink. A 16 oz. Pilsner is 1.3 and a 40oz. beer mug is 3.3 standard drinks.
  • Too many people wait until after they’ve started drinking to figure out how they will get home, but by then, it’s too late to make a clear-headed decision.
  • Drinking after driving is deadly dangerous and never worth the risk of injuring or killing yourself or others.

Drinking and Driving Will Cost You, Possibly Your Life.

  • Impaired driving causes tragedies year round. According to Gordon Fox owner of 2Pass Defensive Driving, 35,092 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2015, and 10,265 (29%), of those fatalities occurred in drunk-driving-related crashes.
  • If you’ve been drinking and then get behind the wheel, you run the risk of causing a crash or getting arrested for a 28-1381 DUI, which includes 10 days in Tent City.
  • If you are convicted of a 28-1381 DUI, you could will face jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and other expenses including attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work. There’s also the embarrassment, humiliation and consequence of telling family, friends, and employers of your arrest.
  • The average Arizona DUI costs about $12,000. The costs for public transportation, a taxi or a shared ride home are one of life’s biggest bargains compared to the cost of an arrest.

Plan Your Sober Ride Home – Before You Party.

  • A safe, sober ride home is an essential part of any plan that includes drinking.
  • Before celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day this year, decide whether you’ll drink or you’ll drive. You can’t do both.
  • If you’re planning on driving, commit to staying sober.
  • If you have been drinking and need a sober ride home, there are many options. Call a taxi or sober friend or family member, use public transportation or use one of the local Sober Ride Programs.

 Designated Drivers, Inc. (Phoenix Only)

 Also, try NHTSA’s Safer Ride mobile app, which helps users call a taxi or a sober friend for a ride home, and helps to identify their location so they can be picked up.

  • Help those around you be responsible, too. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention could put you at risk of getting hit by a vehicle. If someone you know is drinking, do not let them get behind the wheel and help them find a sober ride home.
  • If you see someone who appears to be driving drunk, call the police. Your actions could help save a life.
  • But remember this St. Patrick’s Day: Plan Before You Party! Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving