Don’t test your luck this St. Patrick’s Day, plan for a sober ride home
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - As the Saint Patrick's Day festivities continue, local law enforcement is reminding Idahoans celebrating to make plans now for a sober ride home.
Nationally, St. Patrick's Day is one of the deadliest times on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 272 people were killed in drunk driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period between 2017 and 2021.
In Idaho, there were 1,799 impaired driving crashes, killing 110 people in 2022, according to OHS data.
According to Sgt. Bryan Lovell of the Bonneville County Sheriff's office, their deputies have already made at least 4 DUI arrests in the weekend leading up to the holiday.
"If you're planning to go out and planning to celebrate the holiday, whatever holiday it is, you've got time to plan for a safe ride home and there's a lot of options around," Lovell told Local News 8.
Lovell recommends people celebrating get a ride home with a sober friend or get an Uber. He says it's never worth driving under the influence and risking your life and the lives around you.
