St. Patrick’s Day has evolved from a religious holiday to a day of festivities and everything Irish. Revelers need not have ancestors from County Cork to enjoy all the fun and merriment that surrounds this holiday, and it’s a time when leprechauns, green beer and corned beef and cabbage take center stage.
Whether you choose to celebrate in family-friendly activities like Friday afternoon’s Shamrocks on Breckenridge event or in other ways, the State Highway Patrol wants to remind drivers to never drink and drive.
Law enforcement agencies statewide are increasing patrols to keep impaired drivers off the roads during the St. Patrick’s Day and through the weekend during a “Booze It & Lose It” enforcement campaign.
“St. Patrick’s Day is well established as a time for celebration, but people should do so responsibly,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “Never get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking alcohol. Drinking and driving can be deadly. Have a plan to get home safely so you don’t risk seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else.”
During last year’s weeklong observation of St. Patrick’s Day, 225 alcohol-related crashes resulting in 11 deaths occurred on North Carolina roads.
“The most tragic thing about these deaths is that all of them could have been prevented and their impacts avoided, if people would just do their parts by planning ahead and ensuring they celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day responsibly,” said Col. Freddy Johnson, Jr., commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
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