With the warm weather approaching it is once again time to enjoy the sunshine and the company of friends and family. The St. Patrick’s Day celebration is quickly approaching and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office reminds all of those celebrating to plan ahead if you will be attending events where alcohol will be served.
The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office participates in the Checkpoint Strikeforce initiative and will be conducting a DUI checkpoint as well as increased DUI enforcement and patrols during this holiday. The Sheriff’s Office will distribute information about laws and penalties for driving while intoxicated or while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Motorists who are driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs will be caught, arrested and prosecuted.
The data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate in the past five years, more than 851 people were killed in crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday and more than 327 of them were involved in crashes caused by drunk driving.
Don’t count on “the luck of the Irish” to get you home safely if you have had too much green beer and choose to operate a motor vehicle. Make arrangements for a safe and sober ride before anyone in your party begins consuming alcoholic beverages. Do not let your friends or family get behind the wheel if they’ve been consuming alcohol. Remember that a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher is illegal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office asks you to report drunk driving by calling 911. If you see a drunk driver on the road, call police as soon as possible and be sure to provide a description of the vehicle including its make, model, tag number, color, location and direction of travel.
A message from Mike Evans, the Sheriff for Calvert County, “St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday celebrated by many. Please remember if you consume alcoholic beverages to designate a driver. There will be sobriety check points throughout the county. Enjoy the holiday, BUT BE RESPONSIBLE.”
In addition, the Maryland Impaired Driving Coalition is launching their new website “DUI is for Losers,” which is designed to raise awareness of the negative outcomes from the decision to drive drunk. To learn more about the “DUI is for Losers” campaign, visit www.DUIisForLosers.com. For additional information please contact Cpl. V. Bortchevsky of the Sheriff’s Office at bortchvi@co.cal.md.us .