It’s St.Patrick’s Day, and there’s something you should consider when you’re about to drink that first green beer you’ve ordered: how are you going to get home tonight? It’s a good question, because St.Patrick’s Day drunk driving stats show that it’s one of those days that sees a lot of drunk drivers and a lot of drunk driving arrests.
Wallet Hub has estimated that more than thirty three million people will participate in St.Patrick’s Day festivities, and more than thirteen million pints of Guinness will be tipped back. Even one of those pints is enough for you to feel buzzed, so before you get arrested for St.Patrick’s Day drunk driving, you might want to read these reminders on the dangers of drink and driving on St.Patrick’s Day.
St.Patrick’s Day drunk driving is all too common
According to stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 1/2 of the crashes that happen on St.Patrick’s day are due to drunk driving. They also find there are many pedestrians who are hit by a car because they’re not paying attention.
One glass of alcohol should mean no driving
Even if you’re only going to have one or two pints of Guinness, you should still hand your car keys over to someone else. Research has shown that even one glass of alcohol has the power to affect your judgement, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination, so don’t feel as though you can safely drink until your blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08 and you’ll be fine to drive.
It’s easy to get a ride with ride sharing services
If you’re in a city with Uber or Lyft, there’s no reason not to plan ahead by scheduling a designated driver before you leave the bar. It’s as simple as opening up an app, and getting home safely will be a given.
St.Patrick’s day is to be celebrated, so keep the luck of the Irish with you by not ending your day with a drunk driving charge.