Connecticut Department of Transportation

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03/16/2023

CTDOT: Don’t Push Your Luck This St. Patrick’s Day

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) remind the public, don’t push your luck this St. Patrick’s Day and plan for a sober ride home. 

St. Patrick’s Day is Friday, March 17, 2023. Anyone with holiday plans that include alcohol should plan for a sober ride home to protect themselves and others – there is no other way to avoid the life-or-death risk of driving intoxicated. According to NHTSA, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times on the road. During the 2016-2020 St. Patrick’s Day holidays, 287 people nationally were killed in drunk-driving crashes. In Connecticut, between 2016-2020, eight people died in impaired driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holidays. Last year, three people were killed during the holiday. 

In 2020, the last year of available national data, more than 11,000 people in the United States died in drunk-driving crashes. In Connecticut, there were 118 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2020. 

“On St. Patrick’s Day, we expect more people to socialize at bars, restaurants, and parties, especially as the holiday falls on a Friday. St. Patrick’s Day is recognized as a time for celebration, and we need people to do so responsibly to avoid preventable injuries and deaths because of crashes on our roadways,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “Whether it’s taxis, ride-share services, public transportation, or a friend or family member, there are too many options for people to get home safely, and there is never an excuse to drive drunk. We need everyone to do their part so this St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t end in tragedy.” 

CTDOT offers the following reminders: 

  • Designate a sober driver. It is never okay to drink and drive.
  • Plan ahead and install ride-sharing apps on devices, enter local taxi phone numbers into your phone, and review local public transportation schedules.
    • Visit CTtransit.com or a local bus transit operator website for schedules.
    • Visit CTrail.com for information on train services in the state.
  • Be a good friend and take the keys away from anyone who is about to attempt to drive drunk. Make plans for them to get them home safely.
  • If someone sees a potentially impaired driver on the road, call 9-1-1 when it is safe to do so. 

For more information about the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving campaign and how alcohol affects the operation of a vehicle, please visit nhtsa.gov.



FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
860-594-3062
CTDOTMedia@ct.gov

Twitter: @CTDOTOfficial
Facebook: Connecticut Department of Transportation

 

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