Plan Ahead, Don't Be St. Patrick's Day Traffic Fatality

If you plan to turn Saint Patrick’s Day into a three-day party, AAA Mid-Atlantic urges you to also plan safe ways to get home.

“With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Monday this year, many revelers will plan an extended weekend of festivities and alcohol consumption that may lead motorists down a path of destruction. AAA Mid-Atlantic is advising motorists not to press their luck, but to plan ahead. Designate a sober driver, take a taxi or use public transportation to ensure a safe ride home,” said Christine Sarames Delise, public affairs specialist for AAA Mid-Atlantic. 

On St. Patrick’s Day in 2011, 34 percent of vehicle fatalities were connected to drunk driving.

SoberRide will operate in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, as well as the Cities of Rockville, Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg and Greenbelt to give free taxi rides home. Call 800-200-8294 (TAXI).

AAA Mid-Atlantic has these tips for a safe St. Patrick’s Day celebration:

If you’re venturing out to a party, plan ahead.

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you’ve been drinking, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to get home safely.
• If you see a driver on the road that you suspect is impaired, contact local police.
• If you see people who are about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

If you’re hosting the party where alcohol is being served, be responsible.

• Have food and non-alcoholic beverages available.
• Remember that it takes 40 minutes or longer for alcohol from a drink to be absorbed.
• Take note of who’s coming, who drinks, and who drives.
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• Stop serving alcohol at least an hour before your guests start to leave for home.
• Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.