NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Whether you’re Irish or just enjoy the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, AAA urges those partaking in alcohol to plan ahead before the celebrating begins. Booze and beer―including the green variety―can be a deadly combination when it comes to driving. A good start is half the work, and a good start to your celebration is designating a sober driver.
"St. Patrick's Day is a fun holiday, where a lot of people enjoy some green beer or other adult beverages," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "We just want people to plan ahead, not rely on the Luck of the Irish to get them home safely, but rather to have people think ahead. Organize a sober driver, a rideshare, a taxi, whatever it takes to get you home."
St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times on our nation’s roads.
Nationwide, during the 2017-2021 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), a total of 272 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes.
In Kansas, during St. Patrick’s Day holiday period from 2018-2022, 141 alcohol-related crashes resulted in about 60 injuries and 3 deaths.
"In 2022, according to KDOT, alcohol was involved in almost 2200 crashes, including 800 resulting in injury and 83 resulting in a fatality," Steward said. "Those 83 fatalities accounted for almost 23% of all crash fatalities in the state."
If you are the designated driver, do not drink at all, not one, not any.
"It is a big responsibility," Steward said. "You're operating a large, heavy vehicle that can cause a lot of damage to other people on the road, to other vehicles, property, or certainly, life and well-being of drivers and passengers on the roads."
If you see a driver on the road that you suspect is impaired, pull over to a safe spot and call 911, giving police a description of the vehicle.
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