With St. Patrick’s Day celebrations coming up, the Santa Barbara Police Department will be on alert for suspected impaired drivers and reminds the community to celebrate responsibly by designating a sober driver.

Additional officers will be on patrol Sunday, March 17 looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

The Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoint on Saturday, March 16 during evening hours, at undisclosed locations.

“St. Patrick’s Day is a time for celebration, but it’s important to celebrate responsibly,” traffic investigator Edward Kasper said. “Designating a sober driver before the festivities begin can save lives. It’s a simple way to make sure everyone traveling on our roads gets home safely.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times on the nation’s roads. More than 13,384 preventable deaths throughout 2021 involved drunk driving, representing 31% of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. that year.

Over the 2021 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period, specifically, 47 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in the U.S.

Kasper warns that alcohol is not the only substance that can cause impairment. Marijuana, prescription medications, or over-the-counter drugs may also impair. Do your research and understand how certain drugs may affect your driving ability, he said.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.