With St. Patrick’s Day being celebrated Friday, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Office of Highway Safety is joining the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind motorists to never drive buzzed and to make a plan to get home safely if you celebrate the occasion with alcohol.
Over the past three years, KYTC has reported 30 crashes statewide related to drunk driving on St. Patrick’s Day, resulting in 24 injuries and six fatalities.
Federal statistics show that, on average, one person is killed every 45 minutes in a drunken-driving crash in the United States. Last year, approximately 15 percent of deaths on Kentucky roadways were due to a drunken driver.
To prevent tragedies from occurring, NHTSA and the KYTC recommend the following:
* Before festivities begin, plan a way to get home at the end of the night safely;
* If impaired, use a ride-booking company or taxi, call a sober friend or family member or use public transportation;
* If you see an impaired driver, safely pull over and contact law enforcement. You may dial the KSP toll-free line directly at 1-800-222-5555 or call 911;
* If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination; and
* Wear a seat belt! It is not only the law; it is the best defense against an impaired driver. Buckling up helps prevent injury and death if involved in a crash.