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Make St. Pat’s a sober driving day

Many agencies keep the precise locations and times of their patrols secret to avoid tipping off drivers.

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St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the nation’s deadliest holidays. “Don’t drink and drive, and don’t let your friends do it, either”. Designate a sober driver before you start driving or have the number of a taxi or sober friend on hand. “If you are caught driving drunk, you will be arrested”, Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson warned. That’s because the MPD is starting their annual St. Patrick’s Day Impaired Driving Enforcement Campaign, which will run through Sunday, Mar. 20, according to a Mar. 14 MPD news release. It wasn’t much better in the early hours of March 18, 2014, as almost half of all crash fatalities involved drunk drivers between midnight and 5:59 a.m.

“Before celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, decide whether you’ll drink or you’ll drive”, Sanders continued.

Research if a particular city offers a safe-rides program. Enjoy non-alcoholic beverages and tweet your VIP (Very Important Party-goer) status online using the hashtag #designateddriver.

And remember, if you know someone who is about to drive or ride a motorcycle while impaired, take the keys and help them make arrangements to get to where they are going safely. Ensure your designated driver has committed to a sober evening.

Drug-impaired driving: Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems.

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“Alcohol not only dangerously impairs your driving skills-it impairs your judgment”. Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment affects.

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