As Kentuckians prepare to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety and Kentucky State Police are reminding drivers to make plans now before the party begins on one of the country’s most popular holidays.
KSP Post 16 Spokesman Trooper Corey King tells WMSK News there is no surprise that every year and every holiday state police beef up patrols in problematic areas and set set up safety road checks.
He says the bigger highlight of this time of year is the weather is getting warmer and more people are out and about.
If you plan on celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, Trooper King says plan ahead.
All too often, he adds, they see people go out to party and the designated driver gets intoxicated, so you need to have a backup plan.
Tragically, state officials indicate St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the nation’s deadliest holidays. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than half of the fatal crashes that occurred last year during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday involved drunken drivers.
You can do your part to help keep Kentucky’s highways safe by calling KSP toll-free at (1-800-222-5555) to confidentially report impaired drivers or any criminal activity.