Are You Prepared for St. Patrick’s Day? To be on the Road That Is

St. Patrick’s Day is a widely celebrated Irish holiday and people pull out all the stops to do it right with lots of green décor, Irish food, and, of course, Guinness and other alcoholic drinks. Many of you will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this coming Sunday, March 17, 2013, at a friend’s home, at a local pub, or by even hosting a party at your home. But the holiday is not all fun and games.

What You Might Not Know about St. Patrick’s Day

While enjoying the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, you may not realize how dangerous the holiday could be. All it takes is for one person to drink too much, get on the road to head home, and cause a drunk driving accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 700 people were killed across the U.S. during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday from 2006 to 2010.

Helping You Stay Safe

Impaired driving endangers not only yourself but everyone on the road. As experienced car accident attorneys, the Kiley Law Group legal team has seen firsthand the consequences of drinking and driving. In order to stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day weekend, our firm encourages you to follow these tips:

• As a guest or pub patron, plan a safe way home before arriving for festivities. Either designate a sober driver or take a cab.
• As a host, don’t let guests who have been drinking drive. Take their keys and arrange for a safe ride home or make sure they sober up before leaving.
• Use a sober ride program. Boston has the “Be My DD” program available 24/7. A driver will take you home in your own vehicle. For more information, call (877) 823-6933 or visit http://www.bemydd.com/designated-driver.html.
• Avoid driving in the late night/early morning hours before, during, and/or after St. Patrick’s Day.
• If you see a potentially drunk driver on the road, stay away and call it in to your local police department.

As the saying goes, don’t drink and drive, and help your friends and family stay safe by not letting them drink and drive. Also, be cautious of others when on the road this holiday weekend. If you can do those things, you’ll not just have a fun St. Patrick’s Day but a safe one too!