Police Target Dangerous Drivers over St. Patrick’s Day Holiday

St. Patrick’s Day is still a few days away, but for many the celebrating starts this weekend. With thousands of visitors in town for the event, safety is a big concern.  Drunk drivers are a major challenge for law enforcement.

Motorists will be seeing a lot more officers on the roads in Port Wentworth over the next few days. Captain Matt Libby says the goal is to combat a misconception St. Patrick’s Day visitors might have.

“Sort of like New Orleans does during Mardi Gras, ‘Hey this is party town, you can come into our community, act crazy.‘  We’re not going to tolerate it,“ he says.

Officer Chris Lavoie describes one eventful traffic stop last St. Patrick’s Day.

“Driver came back suspended. I went up to get him out of the vehicle, and as I opened up the car door to ask him to step out, he took off with me in the door,“ says Lavoie.

Throughout the holiday, the Port Wentworth Police Department is being backed by 13 H.E.A.T. units with officers from all around the state on patrol and at random checkpoints.  It’s being called Operation Thunderstorm.

“Don’t do it, if you’re going to drink, don’t drive. Your judgment and your ability to control a motor vehicle is drastically impaired,“ says Libby.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, a dozen people on average will die on Georgia roads this St. Patrick’s Day holiday in alcohol-related crashes. Police hope stepped up enforcement will help prevent those deaths.

It’s not just DUI that’ll get you in trouble. At the first Zero Tolerance checkpoint of the weekend, several drivers are taken into custody for not having a license or having an invalid one.

If you find you’re unfit to drive, you can call Tow To Go, offered by AAA and Budweiser, for a free ride home at 1-800-AAA-HELP.

Also this weekend, AAA is offering free roadside assistance to drivers throughout the Savannah riverfront area.  You can call them at 912-577-1128.

Both services are available through St. Patrick’s Day.

WSAV.com Keyword: “St. Pats” for more information

The following was released by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
DON’T DEPEND ON ‘DUMB LUCK’… DESIGNATE A SOBER DRIVER THIS ST. PATRICK’S DAY

(ATLANTA)  Let’s face it.  If you drink and drive, not even your lucky four leaf clover can save you from a DUI this St. Patrick’s Day, but a (.08) could definitely cost you a pot of gold…or your life.  Yet many Americans will test their luck this weekend if they ride with an impaired driver or climb behind the wheel under the influence of too many green beers.

Lurking behind this all-American tradition when everyone merrily claims to be Irish for a day is a startling statistic that no one wants to share for even a moment: Last year on St. Patrick’s Day nearly half of all drivers involved in fatal crashes nationwide had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of (.08) or above.  During an average St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Georgia a dozen people will die as a result of alcohol related crashes. 

“St. Patrick’s Day was meant for celebrating “the wearing of the green”, not for consuming enough quantities of green beer to raise the River Shannon,” says Director Bob Dallas of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “But now, just like on Cinco de Mayo, Super Bowl Sunday, and Halloween, about half the fatal crashes on our nation’s highways on St. Patrick’s Day involve at least one driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.”

So not even the luck of the Irish can save you from these numbers: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that during the past 5 years, 851 people lost their lives in vehicle crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.  In 2007 alone, 91 people were killed in St. Patrick’s Day crashes involving drivers who were legally drunk.

In fact, NHTSA can even project the most likely DUI crash fatalities because the history of this holiday tells the tale. NHTSA reports show that young males, ages 21-to-34, are most likely to be involved in DUI car crashes.  Why?  Because they’re the one demographic most likely to drive while impaired AND among the least likely to wear safety belts.

“Every Georgia police officer and trauma doctor would trade a pot of gold to keep impaired drivers off the roads, protect innocent motorists from drunk drivers, and take back all the harm caused by St. Patrick’s Day DUI’s in the past,” said GOHS Director Dallas.

But you won’t have to follow a rainbow to find the solution to your holiday driving safety.  Planning ahead instead will make your party pals green with envy.  First, think of your designated driver as your guardian angel looking over your shoulder when you ride home from your festivities.  Here are three proven party tips so you don’t push your luck:

1.    Plan for a Designated Driver.
2.    Don’t drink and drive.
3.    Always buckle your safety belt. (It’s still your best protection against an unexpected encounter with an impaired driver.)

IF YOU HOST a St. Patrick’s Day party, make these safety tips part of your guide to being a great host! (Remember, hosts can be held liable if someone they over-serve ends up in an impaired driving crash.)

Make sure your guests have Designated sober Drivers.
Never serve alcohol to guests under 21-years-of-age.  As host you can be prosecuted.
Serve plenty of food.. And include soft drinks, juice, and water.
Stop serving alcohol before the party ends. Start serving coffee and dessert instead.
Take car keys from anyone who even thinks about driving impaired.

IF YOU ATTEND a St. Patrick’s Day party at your favorite pub or restaurant, have an exit strategy before you leave for home:

Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give them your car keys.
Volunteer to be the Designated Driver or offer to be one next time out.
Before you party, program local cab company numbers in your cell phone so a safe ride is just a call away.
Pace yourself.  Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast.  Eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
Never let a friend out of sight if you think they’re about to drive impaired.
OVER THE LIMIT. UNDER ARREST

St. Patrick’s Day has become one of America’s biggest drinking holidays as friends gather to socialize at parties and pubs. However Georgia enforces DUI laws for those who drive drunk. The message is simple. You drive impaired, you WILL go to jail. It’s Operation Zero-Tolerance. 

The official St. Patrick’s Day holiday travel period runs from 6pm on March 16th to 6:59am on March 18th.  According to GOHS Director Bob Dallas, one-of-every-three crash fatalities in Georgia all year long is alcohol-related… and every one of those alcohol-related deaths can be prevented. 

FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS DRIVE DRUNK

Just remember that driving impaired on St. Patrick’s Day can have lasting effects for the rest of your life. It is in no way a victimless crime.. And in every way a preventable crime.  Be responsible.  If you plan on drinking, don’t rely on luck to keep you safe or out of trouble.

For more information on impaired driving prevention this St. Patrick’s Day see http://www.madd.org , or http://www.StopImpairedDriving.org, or visit us on the web at http://www.gahighwaysafety.org.