SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — It’s officially St. Patrick’s Day weekend and with the glorified drinking holiday comes increased police patrols, and this year is no different.
Up there with New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July, St. Patrick’s is one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year. However, there are still many family-friendly activities to take part in like the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Leprechaun Run and of course food and festivals.
But for those planning to drink some green beer, Irish coffees, Irish Whiskey, Guinness, Baileys Irish Cream, an alcoholic shamrock shake, or something not festive at all, it’s advised to think as hard about how you’ll get home from the party as you are when planning it.
Ahead of the big weekend, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and Carlsbad police are warning drivers not to drive impaired as there will be increased patrols through the weekend, especially on the evening of St. Patrick’s Day.
SDSO announced Friday morning there will be increased police patrols on St. Patrick’s Day (Sunday, March 17) from 6 p.m. through 6 a.m. Monday.
Carlsbad police announced Thursday evening there will be increased patrols all weekend, from Friday through Sunday, in an effort to crackdown on impaired driving.
Law enforcement is urging anyone going out drinking to plan ahead and to get a sober driver or use Ride-Sharing Apps like Uber and Lyft.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest days on the roads. Over the 2021 St. Patrick’s Day holiday, 47 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in the U.S.
SDSO says during last year’s St. Patrick’s Day enforcement period in San Diego County, 36 people were arrested on suspicion of impaired driving.
So far in 2024, 1,342 people have been arrested for impaired driving by law enforcement agencies in San Diego County, SDSO reports.
Funding for the St. Patrick’s Day impaired driving enforcement program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.