Highway Patrol: Don’t press your luck this St. Patrick’s Day

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COLUMBUS – If you’re planning on celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, the Ohio State Highway Patrol urges you to designate a sober driver before the festivities begin. The Patrol will work with local law enforcement to remove impaired drivers as part of the National Highway Safety Administration’s Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving campaign.

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that often involves consumption of alcohol. Because of the holiday’s popularity, it has also become a dangerous night on Ohio’s roadways. In 2016, two people were killed and 32 were injured on St. Patrick’s Day due to alcohol-related crashes. In all of 2016, 423 people were killed and 8,785 were injured in alcohol-related crashes.

“There are so many options to get home safely that driving after consuming alcohol is senseless and inexcusable,” said Colonel Paul A. Pride, Patrol superintendent. “Planning ahead before you go out is not only the smart thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.”

For bars and permit holders, over-serving or serving underage customers could also mean costly fines, suspension or revocation of their liquor permit. The Ohio Investigative Unit and other safety partners work to educate motorists and permit holders of these consequences in advance, reminding people of the dangers of impaired driving and over-serving.

As always, motorists are encouraged to call #677 to report drug activity or impaired drivers.

Staff report

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