The Greene County sheriff’s office and Jefferson police department will participate in a special Traffic Enforcement Project March 13-17 with increased patrol.
The St Patrick’s Day holiday has become a deadly day with a dramatic spike in drunk-driving fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2013, 40 percent of all crash fatalities during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend involved drunk drivers, and that number rose to 55-percent in the post-party hours of midnight to 6 am on March 18. Almost 75 percent of those fatalities involved drivers whose blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit.
Over the last four years, nationwide, drunk driving kills on average 68 people each St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
“Don’t let your St. Patrick’s Day end in tragedy. Before you take your first sip of green beer, make a plan. If you become impaired and don’t have a designated driver, call a friend or relative to get home safely. Consider the average $10,000 expense of getting an OWI, including higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, towing fees, lost wages, and other unanticipated expenses.
“Be safe and smart this St. Patrick’s Day holiday, Whether you’re buzzed or drunk, it doesn’t matter. Buzzed driving is drunk driving – drive sober,” a press release from the Greene County sheriff’s office stated.
