Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Friday, March 11, 2016

Be A Saint, Drive Sober this St. Patrick’s Day

OCEAN CITY, MD – On Saturday, March 12, Ocean City will be filled with leprechauns and pots of gold for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and festivities. This is always a joyous weekend but the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) is reminding party-goers to celebrate safely and designate a sober driver.

According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), during the 2014 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period, 28 percent of all motor vehicle crash fatalities involved drunk drivers. From 2010 to 2014, nearly 75 percent of the drunk-driving fatalities during this holiday period involved drivers who had BACs well above the .08 legal limit, with 266 drunk-driving fatalities total.

“I encourage everyone to make a plan before heading out to their St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Designate a sober driver ahead of time, call a taxi or ride the municipal bus,” commented Chief Ross Buzzuro. “Our officers will be focused making sure everyone can enjoy the parade and other events in town safely, and that includes keeping our roads clear of drunk drivers.”

The OCPD recommends the following tips to ensure you have a safe St. Patrick’s Day:

When you’re making your plans for St. Patrick’s Day, think about how you and your friends will get home safely and stick to your plan.

If you’re impaired, call a taxi, a sober friend or hop on the municipal bus to get home safely.

If you see a drunk driver on the road, never hesitate to call us at 911 or 410-723-6600.

If a friend is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make arrangements to get home safely.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

If I have to pay a taxi to take me to a bar so that I can pay overpriced amounts to drink in a crowded, hot, loud environment, and then pay a taxi to take me home, then it just isn't worth it. Call me old, or whatever, but my idea of fun and celebration doesn't include lots of hardship and expense. And I have enough fun that I don't have to go somewhere to drink. I am not that desperate for that kind of "fun."

Anonymous said...

11:48 is a crotchety old boar.

Anonymous said...

I will be in Ocean City as always drinking and wearing green beads, eating corned beef and cabbage. Love the Irish pub in M Bay!!