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Traffic Safety Partners Remind Carroll County Bar Patrons to Drive Sober and Choose Safety for Life this St. Patrick’s Day
WHO:
Susan Solo, Mid-western Community Traffic Safety Program Coordinator
Law enforcement partners
Highway safety advocates
WHAT:
Even the luck of the Irish cannot prevent tragedies when combining drinking
and driving on notorious “drinking holidays” such as St. Patrick’s Day. Community
traffic safety partners visit area establishments that serve alcohol and distribute
educational materials including coasters that say “Kiss me – I’m sober” and phone numbers for area cab companies.
WHY:
For many Americans, St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular night out to celebrate
with friends and family. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), over the past five years, 851 people lost their lives in
motor vehicle crashes this holiday. Out of that number, 237
were killed in crashes that involved a driver or motorcyclist with a blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In 2007 alone, 91 people were killed in
crashes involving impaired drivers on St. Patrick’s Day across the United States.
Over the last 10 years, 2,000 Marylanders have been killed overall in impaired driving crashes and 179 people were killed in 2007 alone. Impaired driving crashes can be easily prevented simply by not getting behind the wheel after drinking. The
Choose Safety for Life campaign emphasizes the importance of traffic safety and capitalizes on five key steps to eliminating traffic crash fatalities: Buckle up, Slow down – speeding kills, Always drive sober, Focus, Everyone share the road!
WHERE:
Carroll and Frederick county establishments; Call to schedule photo.
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