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@WCSOOregon
March 15, 2018 -- The Washington County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will be conducting high visibility enforcement patrols looking for impaired drivers during this St. Patrick's Day holiday weekend.
Tragically, the St. Paddy's Day holiday period has become a dangerous holiday on our nation's roads. According to NHTSA, in 2016 alone, 60 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Paddy's Day holiday.
March 17th has become particularly dangerous. During the 2016 St. Patrick's Day holiday period, 39% of all motor vehicle crash fatalities involved impaired drivers. The early hours of March 18th are even more hazardous. Between midnight and 5:59 a.m., nearly three-fourths (69%) of all crash fatalities involved impaired drivers. From 2012 to 2016, 38% of the impaired-driving fatalities during this holiday period involved drivers who had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) well above the .08 limit, with 269 impaired-driving fatalities total.
Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.
There are many other ways to ensure a safe ride home besides relying on a friend. The options include using public transportation, calling a taxi, or using a rideshare program such as Uber or Lyft. In addition, NHTSA's SaferRide Mobile App, available in the app store, is another resource to help people who have been drinking find a sober ride home--by identifying their location and helping to call a taxi or a friend to pick them up.
For more information about the Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving campaign, visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.