March 15, 2024 (Bannock County Sheriff’s Office Press Release, March 13, 2024; Cover image credit: BCSO)
BANNOCK COUNTY, Idaho—As St. Patrick’s Day nears this coming weekend, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office reminds those celebrating to make plans now for a sober ride home. From March 14 to 18, the BCSO is joining the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety (OHS) and law enforcement agencies statewide to increase patrols for impaired driving.
Nationally, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 272 people were killed in drunk driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period between 2017 and 2021.
Here in Idaho, there were 1,799 impaired driving crashes, killing 110 people in 2022, according to OHS data. Law enforcement agencies across the state made 7,781 DUI arrests in the same year.
While officers are always keeping an eye out for impaired drivers, it takes commitment from the entire community to prevent dangerous drivers from causing crashes. If a friend tries to drive drunk, step in and take away the keys. If it is your turn to be the designated driver, take the job seriously and don’t drink. Make the smart choice to plan for a sober driver to get you and your friends and family home safely.
A grant through OHS and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides funding for extra patrols focused on impaired driving enforcement this St. Patrick’s Day.
More impaired driving prevention materials are available online at shift-idaho.org/beheretomorrow/.
