Nearly half of the drivers and motorcyclists involved in fatal car accidents on St. Patrick’s Day last year had a illegal blood alcohol content of .08 or above and 63 percent of those impaired drivers and motorcyclists died in a crash.
Today everyone is Irish, and green will be seen throughout New York State. However, St. Patrick’s Day can be a dangerous holiday due the large number of impaired drivers on the road.
Impaired driving continues to be one of America’s most-often-committed and deadliest crimes and occurs frequently on St. Patrick’s Day – a holiday synonymous with drinking. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 44 percent of all traffic fatalities during St. Patrick’s Day involved a drunk driver. By comparison, 31 percent of fatal accidents involve drunk drivers each year as a whole.
"Drunk drivers share the road with you and your family,” says Allstate New York spokesperson Krista Conte. "Even if you never drink and drive, you can help save lives by being a responsible party host, preventing friends and acquaintances from driving drunk and reporting suspicious drivers."
To protect New York families from drunk drivers this St. Patrick’s Day, here are some life-saving tips from Allstate:
? Don’t drink and drive. If you know you will be drinking alcohol, use a designated driver or public transportation
? If you spot an impaired driver on the highway, maintain a safe following distance and don’t attempt to pass
? Report a suspected drunk driver immediately to area law enforcement from your cell phone or a pay phone. Give police as much information (i.e., license plate number, make, model and color of vehicle, direction vehicle is traveling, physical description of driver) as possible
?When entertaining guests be responsible yourself. It will be much easier to determine whether or not a guest is able to drive if you’re sober yourself
?If your guests drink too much, arrange a ride with a sober driver, call a cab or insist they sleep at your home
? When hosting a party, offer plenty of non-alcoholic beverages and serve food to help slow the absorption of alcohol
? Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party is over and never pressure others to drink or rush to refill their glasses when empty –Courtesy of Allstate
