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On St. Patrick’s Day, 269 People Died in Drunk-Driving Crashes From 2007-2011

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, and Clermont County Safe Communities is reminding drivers not to get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that more than 269 people have been killed nationwide in crashes involving drunk drivers during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday from 2007 to 2011.

“When you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, just be smart about it. If you know you’re going to drink, whether with friends at a bar or attending a party, designate a sober driver ahead of time or call a taxi to make sure you get home safely,” said Margaret Jenkins, Safe Communities coordinator and Ohio State University Extension Clermont County educator. “There’s never an excuse for driving after drinking.”

According to NHTSA in 2011, on average, one person was killed every 53 minutes in a drunk-driving crash in the United States.  Most of these crashes involved drunk drivers who had blood alcohol concentrations of .15 or higher, almost twice the legal limit of .08.

To prevent these tragedies from occurring, Clermont County Safe Communities recommends the following steps to have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day:

• Before the festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local police. You could save a life.
• And remember, if you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to home.

For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov or call Clermont Extension at 732-7070.

OSUE Clermont County is a non-formal education branch of OSU. The office merges needs of local citizens with OSU’s research through four focus areas: Family & Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources and Community Development.