(PIKESVILLE, MD) – With St. Patrick’s Day coming up on Friday, Maryland State Police are urging those who plan to celebrate with alcohol to drink responsibly and avoid impaired, distracted and aggressive driving.
With an expected increase of impaired drivers throughout the state this week, troopers at all 23 Maryland State Police barracks will conduct saturation patrols, focusing on impaired, distracted and aggressive driving. A portion of the costs associated with the increased enforcement efforts will be paid through impaired driving saturation funds provided by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office.
The initiatives, which will take place on various days, beginning Wednesday, March 15 through Sunday, March 19, include saturation patrols in areas known to have a higher number of DUI crashes or arrests. These efforts, in many cases, will include partnering with allied law enforcement and other state agencies to enforce the law and offer outreach to the community through social media and electronic billboards.
Among those initiatives:
The Princess Anne Barrack will be working with allied agencies throughout the lower Eastern Shore as part of the area’s “Border to Border” initiative.
According to the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office, between 2017 and 2021, an average of 169 people died and 2,998 were injured annually as a result of impaired driving crashes in the state. Those deaths and injuries were preventable.
If you are attending a St. Patrick’s Day gathering:
Designate your sober driver before going out and give that person your car keys
If you’re planning to drive, avoid drinking
Consider using public transportation, call a taxi or use a ride-share service IF you don’t have a sober driver
Do not let a friend drive if you think that they are impaired
If you see someone who you believe is driving impaired, call police
Always buckle up
Do not text, use a cellphone that is not hands-free or drive distracted
If you are hosting a St. Patrick’s Day gathering:
Remember, you can be held liable if someone you served alcohol to ends up in an impaired-driving crash
Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages
Ensure sober drivers or alternative modes of transportation are set up in advance for guests who are planning to drink alcoholic beverages
Have contact information for local taxi companies readily available
Take away the keys from anyone who is thinking of driving impaired
Always remember, if you’re going out tonight, so are we. Don’t push your luck this St. Patrick’s Day. Make a plan and be the driver who saves lives.
Source: Maryland State Police Newsroom
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