The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) and its Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) are urging St. Patrick’s Day partiers to find a safe ride home if you plan on drinking this year on Friday, March 17.
Before you decide to go out and drink, the DPS and GTSB suggest you line up a designated sober driver, use the American Automobile Association’s Tow to Go Program or find an alternative ride home.
St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays in America, according to statistics. Last year there were zero fatalities in Iowa over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday (March 17–20, 2016), but there were 458 crashes resulting in 756 injuries, of which 16 were serious injuries.
A majority of the serious crashes on St. Patrick’s Day happen between midnight and 6 a.m., statistics reveal.
No matter whether you choose to drink or be the designated driver, remember that wearing your seat belt will provide the most protection in the event you don’t have the “luck of the Irish” and are involved in a crash, the DPS says.
Law enforcement says that together we can make this St. Patrick’s Day holiday a safe one and again have zero fatalities.
