Green water was flowing in the Chicago River as the Saint Patrick’s Day festivities kicked off. Many Chicago residents are preparing for a boozy St. Patrick’s Day brunch and an afternoon of sports watching or lounging around their living rooms.
If you are going out for brunch this morning remember to make it a safe trip. Take a cab, bus, or designate a sober driver before you go out. Chicago police say that drunk drivers are a huge problem on St. Patrick’s Day and some estimates place this holiday on par with New Year’s Eve and Independence Day for the most drunk drivers on the road.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that one person dies in a drunk driving car accident every 51 minutes. Most drivers involved in fatal drunk driving crashes have a blood alcohol level that is almost twice the legal limit.
Studies have also shown that even a single drink can greatly increase a person’s risk of being in a serious car accident. The risk of a serious crash then rises proportionally with every incremental 0.01 increase in a driver’s blood alcohol level.
According to the NHTSA, over 700 people were killed in St. Patrick’s Day holiday crashes from 2006 to 2010. Avoid becoming part of this alarming statistic by planning a safe ride to and from your St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
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