Don’t Rely On “The Luck Of The Irish”; Designate A Driver On St. Patrick Saturday

I'm half Irish, so of course I want you to celebrate St. Patty's day. However, I received a press release about the amped up law enforcement that will be out tonight and tomorrow and some VERY sobering facts.  I want you stay safe, so I thought I'd share.  Thank you to the Duluth Police Department for reminding us to be safe!   Celebrate in moderation, or better yet, get a designated driver.

On Saturday, March 17th, 2012 the Duluth Police Department along with our Law Enforcement

partners the Minnesota State Patrol, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, Hermantown PD,

Proctor PD, Floodwood PD and UMD PD will have extra Officers patrolling Duluth streets to

make sure St. Patrick’s Day night is a safe one.

Driving a vehicle or riding a motorcycle while impaired is not worth the risk. The consequences

are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and

financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be significant. Plan a safe

way home before the festivities, designate a sober driver. No matter what happens, do not drive

buzzed or drunk this St. Patrick’s Day!

For all the progress that has been made, alcohol related crashes without a question remain a

threat accounting for one-third of the state’s traffic fatalities annually. In a Minnesota Impaired

Driving Facts 2010 report, these are the discouraging facts that quantify the problem and

explain Minnesota’s impaired driving laws. Following are key facts from 2010:

411 people died in traffic crashes in Minnesota and 131 (32 percent) were

alcohol-related.

2,485 people suffered injuries in alcohol related crashes.

29,918 DWI’s were issued to drivers on Minnesota roads (82 per day on average).

12,436 (42 percent) of these violators had at least one prior DWI.

2,102 (7 percent) of DWI’s were issued to drivers less than 21 years of age.

One of every seven current Minnesota drivers has at least one DWI.

The Duluth Police Department and our law enforcement partners are committed to stopping

impaired driving. We ask every driver to join us by making smart, safe decisions. St. Patrick’s

Day is a popular night to go out and celebrate with friends and family. It’s a time for fun, but it

should also be a night for caution!