March 10, 2025
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — St. Patrick’s Day 2025 celebrations will take place across the country on and around Monday, March 17. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Arkansas Highway Safety Office (AHSO) urge drivers to remember that drinking and driving is deadly and never an option. Join NHTSA, the AHSO and Arkansas law enforcement in sharing this message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Every year, alcohol-impaired driving casts a shadow over the festive spirit of St. Patrick’s Day by taking the lives of community and family members across America. According to NHTSA, 38% (290) of the traffic fatalities that occurred during the St. Patrick’s Day holidays (6 p.m. March 16–5:59 a.m. March 18) between 2018-2022 involved drunk drivers. In 2022 alone, there were 74 drunk-driving fatalities during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, of which 49 involved drivers with a blood alcohol level of almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). In 2022, drivers ages 21-34 (34%) were the age group most involved in alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities during this holiday, followed by drivers under 21 (30%). The rates of passenger car drivers and motorcyclists involved in these fatal drunk-driving crashes were 34% and 41%, respectively.
“Embracing St. Patrick’s Day and its traditions is one thing; engaging in the deadly behavior that is drinking and driving is another. Feeling buzzed and getting behind the wheel puts lives at risk,” reminds Arkansas Public Safety Secretary Colonel Mike Hagar. “As law enforcement officers, we witness firsthand the devastation and loss caused by alcohol-impaired driving, along with the lasting pain it inflicts on families, friends, and entire communities. Drinking and driving is not an option.
Drivers should be safe during St. Patrick’s Day by planning ahead if they intend to drink. They shouldn’t wait until after drinking to plan how to get somewhere. Alcohol impairment clouds a person’s judgment. Drivers should secure a designated sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare for a sober ride home.
If a driver finds they are unable to drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver so that person can get them home safely. When a friend has been drinking and is considering driving, friends should be proactive and help them get a sober ride home. If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 9-1-1. Always remember to buckle up. Your seat belt is your best defense against a drunk driver.
For more information on impaired driving, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving or call the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at (501) 618-8136, and go to https://www.tzdarkansas.org/ to learn about Arkansas’ Toward Zero Deaths campaign to eliminate preventable traffic fatalities.
Additional Information Contact:
ASP Highway Safety Office – Bridget White
(501) 618-8230
[email protected]