Remember: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America date back to the country’s founding. While this year’s celebration may look a little different in your hometown, however you celebrate, make sure you and your friends stay safe this St. Paddy’s Day. Remember this one important piece of advice: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. This means if you plan to drink any alcoholic beverage, it’s essential you plan for a sober, designated driver beforehand. If you’re the designated driver, make sure you keep that promise of safety to yourself and your passengers.
Below are some tips for celebrating safely.
- Designate your sober driver or have an alternate transportation plan before the party begins.
- If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, Lyft or Uber, a friend or family member to come and get you; or just stay where you are and don’t drive until you are completely sober.
- Use your community’s sober ride program.
- Never let a friend drive drunk. Take action and arrange a safe way for them to get home.
- Don’t ride in a vehicle with a driver who is intoxicated.
- Always buckle up. It’s still your best defense against drunk drivers.
During the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day weekend 63% crash fatalities involved a drunk driver according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. From 2015 to 2019, a total of 280 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes during St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t let yourself or a loved one become a statistic. The luck of the Irish does not extend to drunk driving. Make a plan, have fun and stay safe.
If you are a parent, young adult, teacher or interested community member, you can learn more about Kentucky’s alcohol prevention efforts and find tons of resources at New Vista’s Regional Prevention Center https://newvista.org/substance-use/prevention.
