NHTSA on Saint Patrick’s Day 2022 Roadway Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently raising awareness about their Saint Patrick’s Day safety campaign. Sadly, Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times of the year on U.S. roadways. This year, the NHTSA is calling on partygoers to make a plan to get home safely before the festivities begin. They’re urging people not to wait until the end of the night to find a safe ride home.  

Additionally, the NHTSA is also educating drivers about the dangers of buzzed driving. There are so many misconceptions about how much alcohol is safe to drive with. Unfortunately, even a small amount of alcohol can impact your ability to drive safely, so it’s important to find a safe ride home if you plan on drinking.  

Saint Patrick’s Day Drunk Driving by The Numbers 

  • During the 2015-2019 Saint Patrick’s Day holiday period (6:00 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 280 people were killed in drunk driving crashes.  
  • In 2019, 57 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes during the Saint Patrick’s Day period.
  • Between the hours of midnight and 5:59 a.m. over the Saint Patrick’s Day period in 2019, more than half (63%) of crash fatalities involved a drunk driver.  

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving 

This year, safety advocates want people to know that buzzed driving is drunk driving too. Even one drink can be one drink too many. Alcohol impacts your cognitive functioning, reaction times and wakefulness, so even if you don’t feel “drunk,” your ability to safely navigate the roads can be diminished if you’ve been drinking.  

If you plan on celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day with alcohol, don’t get behind the wheel. It’s always a good policy to make a plan ahead of time. Whether you designate a driver or plan to stay at a friend’s house, whatever you do, don’t drive home. Make sure to have a backup plan too. This can be as simple as using a ridesharing app or calling a taxi.  

If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a drunk driver in San Diego or anywhere in Southern California, contact the skilled and proven team at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. at 1.800.GO.HARRIS for a free case consultation today.