St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional Irish feast day that takes place each year on March 17 to honor Ireland’s patron Saint Patrick for his extensive missionary work. Holiday parades and the custom of pinching people for not wearing green are fun! However, most people look forward to St. Patrick’s Day for eating traditional St. Patrick’s Day dishes, like corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread, and for social drinking. This is why drunk driving is a special concern for the state and local law enforcement agencies and should be taken very seriously. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) reports that 252 people died in fatal auto accidents involving drunk drivers during St. Patrick’s Day weekend from 2011 to 2015.
Here are some simple ways to avoid accidents during the holiday celebrations:
1. Celebrate at home: it’s much safer to host the party since you don’t have to drive after it’s over. If your guests drink too much, provide a safe place for them to rest until morning, or help them call a taxi or Uber or Lyft for the ride home.
2. Know where you are going: map out your travel to the place where the party will be hosted, and check for traffic delays which are very likely to occur due to bad weather conditions, transportation issues, or big crowds. If you have enough time to get there, you will not drive aggressively, which makes your trip much safer.
3. Keep contact with your family and friends: get a good phone charger to make sure you keep your cell phone charged at any time, so you could contact them in case of emergency.
4. Hydrate well and eat more: don’t drink alcohol when dehydrated or on an empty stomach: have some a shepherd’s pie or a corned beef sandwich. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
5. Have a designated driver in your party. If your friends are intoxicated and you do not have an assigned driver, you should arrange a different way to get home.
6. Buckle up to save lives and be cautious. Watch out for pedestrians: they may be drunk. If you are a designated driver, drive carefully, slow down, and remember: you might be sober, but you’re not the only one on the road.
7. And finally, if you walk or to bike to a party, wear high visibility clothing (it actually can be in hi-vis green), so vehicles could easily spot you on the road or sidewalks.
Unlike traditional family holidays, like Thanksgiving when most people prefer to celebrate at home, St. Patrick’s Day is an event which leads people to dress up in green outfits and go out to pubs and bars. So, follow these tips above and have a safe and festive holiday! Remember – you will have to go to work tomorrow, so be responsible!
No matter what color you are wearing this St. Patrick’s Day, we will be happy to answer your questions, just call us at 800-829-9580.
Bet You Didn’t Know:
- The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.
- There are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry. This number is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself.
