Give keys to a designated driver before parties begin

March 10, 2005

Lucky charms and a pot of gold aren’t enough to protect motorists from drunk drivers this St. Patrick’s Day.

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) reminds those who plan on consuming alcohol on St. Patrick’s Day that Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

"Don’t take any chances this St. Patrick’s Day," said Michael L. Prince, OHSP division director. "Eliminate luck from the equation and designate a sober driver before the festivities begin."

OHSP is also providing federal traffic safety funds to 64 law enforcement agencies across the state to conduct alcohol saturation patrols during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Nationally, 32 percent of all traffic fatalities occurring around St. Patrick’s Day in 2003 were the result of drivers with blood alcohol content levels of 0.08 percent and above, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

On St. Patrick’s Day 2004 in Michigan, 35 alcohol-related crashes resulted in 19 injuries, according to the Michigan State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center. Law enforcement officers arrested 171 motorists for drunk driving.

Impaired driving is one of America’s deadliest problems. Nationally, more than 17,000 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes during 2003, according to NHTSA.

Read more news releases from the Michigan State Police.