CHARLESTON, WV - The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind you that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.
St. Patrick’s Day weekend is a time when people get together with friends and celebrate the luck of the Irish. It is critical to plan ahead for a safe ride home if you’re going to drink.
St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest days on our nation’s roads. Over the 2021 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6:00 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 47 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in the United States. Forty-one of those traffic fatalities happened during the nighttime hours (6:00 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.). NHTSA statistics show one person was killed every 39 minutes in drunk-driving crashes in the U.S. in 2021.
“While we always promote safe driving habits, it’s especially important during times of festive celebrations when alcohol consumption is prevalent. St. Patrick's Day certainly falls into this category,” said GHSP Director Jack McNeely. “If you plan to consume alcohol, please be proactive and plan alternative transportation home after the celebration. And don’t let friends drive drunk.”
Drinking and driving also has serious financial implications. You could face jail time, lose your driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in fines, attorney’s fees, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.
Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Designate a sober driver to get you home safely before you have even one drink. Call a taxi or book a ride with a ride-hailing service if you’ve been drinking. And if you see someone who is about to drink and drive, take their keys and get a sober driver to take them home. For more information about the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving campaign, visit
www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.