ABC Requests Californians Not to Drive Impaired this St. Patrick’s Day

Sacramento – The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) reminds Californians that planning for a sober ride home should be a top priority when making St. Patrick’s Day plans. ABC licensees can help increase safety by checking IDs and not serving obviously intoxicated patrons.

“Before you go celebrate, make a plan to get home safely,” said ABC Director Paul Tupy. “In addition, our agents will be out in full force on St. Patrick’s Day to keep communities safe.”

While impaired driving is a significant danger on the road year-round, the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period is particularly deadly. If you know someone has been drinking, don’t let them get behind the wheel. If you’re hosting a gathering, make sure all your guests have a sober ride home.

ABC is partnering with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to deliver this educational message due to the high number of drunk driving crashes that occur near St. Patrick’s Day each year. According to NHTSA, 38% (284) of the traffic fatalities that occurred during the St. Patrick’s Day holidays between 2019-2023 involved drunk drivers. In 2023 alone, there were 63 fatalities in drunk-driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, of which 44 involved drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher.

Funding for St. Patrick’s Day enforcement is provided by a grant from OTS through NHTSA.

Contact

Additional information may be obtained by contacting:

Public Information Office
3927 Lennane Drive, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95834
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (916) 419-2525

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