St. Patrick's Day has become a popular day of celebration for many Hoosiers.
From parades to parties, many will participate in events that celebrate Irish heritage. However given that many of these festivities will include alcohol, this time of year can also be very dangerous.
In an effort to deter impaired and dangerous driving on Indiana's roadways this month, the Kosciusko County Traffic Safety Partnership is joining with more than 250 state and local law enforcement agencies to launch Operation Pull Over Blitz 58.
This statewide, high-visibility enforcement crackdown will take place until March 22. During this time, participating law enforcement agencies will deploy sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and other enforcement activities that are designed to detect and arrest impaired drivers. Officers will also be on the lookout for aggressive and unbelted motorists.
In Indiana over the past five years, a total of nine people lost their lives in motor vehicles crashes during the St. Patrick's Day holiday. Of that number, 33 percent were killed in an alcohol-related crash. The proportion of traffic fatalities accounted for by drivers involved in alcohol-related crashes has increased annually at a rate of 5.5 percent statewide.
According to research from the National Highway Safety Administration, impaired driving remains one of America's deadliest problems. In 2007, 41,059 people were killed nationwide in motor vehicle crashes. Of that number, 12,998 people were killed in traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.
Enjoy a safe St. Patrick's Day by remembering a few easy tips:
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver and give that person your keys;
- If you're impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to make sure you get home safety.
- If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, call 911;
- And remember, if you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.
