Montgomery County Steps Up Impaired Driving Enforcement and Provides Safe Ride Options for St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 17

Per Montgomery County:

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 16, 2022

St. Patrick’s Day, which will be celebrated this Thursday, March 17, for many is a holiday associated with alcohol use. As a result, impaired driving makes the holiday a dangerous time. In an effort to prevent death and injury that often accompany driving under the influence, the Montgomery County Police Department is ramping up enforcement efforts and the County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is providing safe ride resources for residents who will be celebrating with alcohol.

“St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times on our nation’s roadways,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Nationally, it is the third-most popular drinking holiday, next to New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras. In 2019, 6 percent of fatal St. Patrick’s Day car crashes between midnight and 6 a.m. involved a drunk driver. These losses are preventable. Be responsible. If you choose to celebrate with alcohol, plan out your night and arrange for a safe ride home in advance.”

Residents are urged to make plans before heading out to celebrate and to consider the use of one of the following safe ride options:

• The Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is providing a “safety net” with subsidized rides through Lyft. A promotional code for a limited number of rides will be posted by WRAP at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, at SoberRide.com. The program provides up to $15 off for rides home on St. Patrick’s Day, from 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, until 4 a.m. on Friday, March 18.
• MCDOT’s Ride On buses are free to all passengers until at least July 2. There are currently 79 routes throughout the County that operate on weekdays from 4 a.m. until midnight. Check Ride On for current bus route schedules and other information.
• To learn about other year-round safe ride options, visit the County’s Vision Zero Safe Ride home page.

“The Montgomery County Police Department is dedicated to the safety of our citizens during the St. Patrick’s holiday,” said Police Chief Marcus Jones. “The Montgomery County Police- Alcohol Initiative Unit will be conducting a DUI checkpoint on March 17, 2022. If you are going to participate in St. Patrick’s Day activities and celebrate with alcohol, do not drink and drive. Have a designated driver, call a ride service or use SoberRide.”

Police advise that if someone believes they are observing a driver impaired by alcohol or drugs, they should immediately call 9-1-1. If possible, and without putting themselves in danger, they should obtain the license plate of the vehicle, the direction of travel of the vehicle and a description of the vehicle (make, model and color).

The campaign and safe ride resources to curb dangerous impaired driving are part of Montgomery County’s Vision Zero Initiative to eliminate serious and fatal injuries from roadways by 2030. For more information on the County’s Vision Zero Initiative visit, https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/visionzero/index.html \.

For transportation updates, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, visit the department website at montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, and subscribe to MCDOT’s ‘Go Montgomery!’ newsletter.