KINGMAN – The Kingman Police Department, in conjunction with the Western AZ DUI Task Force, will be out providing extra patrol for the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend. St. Patrick’s Day is one of our nation’s most popular holidays, celebrated with festivals, parades, and parties which frequently features themed cocktails and green pints. The amount of alcohol consumed on this holiday is higher than average.
St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, and it is anticipated that alcohol consumption will increase both on that day and throughout the weekend. Before you go out to celebrate, decide and designate a sober driver to bring your home. While St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most popular holidays, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it is also one of the deadliest days on our nation’s roads due to the increased consumption of alcohol and/or impairing substances and driving. There were 272 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s holiday period (6:00 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18) between 2017 and 2021. Impaired driving is not only illegal with serious financial consequences, but is also deadly for the intoxicated driver and for others on the road, including passengers, pedestrians, and sober drivers.
The Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety provided the Kingman Police Department with grant funding for overtime to have additional officers assigned for enforcement and detection during times where the likelihood of impaired drivers is increased, usually around holidays.
The Kingman Police Department wants to remind those that plan to use an impairing substance or choose to drink alcoholic beverages to use a designated driver, taxi or rideshare. If you suspect an impaired driver please contact law enforcement.
As you head out to the festivities, help us spread the word: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. The Luck of the Irish Won’t Save You in a Crash.
