St. Patrick’s Day is a day of celebrations when many people claim to be Irish. People often dress in funny leprechaun hats and drink a lot of green beer. It is also the day when preventable accidents occur.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says, “A St. Patrick’s Day celebration often ends with risky drunk drivers taking to the streets when parties end.”

NHTSA recommends party-goers make sure to refrain from driving after partaking of alcohol. The agency also reminds everyone of the dangers of drunk driving and has asked everyone to share the information on “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” 

When looking at the NHTSA statistics from 2008 to 2017, 360 deaths resulted from drunk-driving accidents occurring on St. Patrick’s Day. This year will be particularly dangerous as March 17 falls on a weekend, which research shows correlates to nearly twice as many DUI deaths compared to when the holiday falls on a weekday.

A study conducted of the worst states for St. Patrick’s Day DUI deaths showed these states were Hawaii, Rhode Island, Idaho, Florida, and Louisiana. Despite being home to 9 percent of the U.S. total population, they accounted for 18 percent of the total number of DUI deaths on St. Patrick’s Day from 2008 – 2017.

When looking at cities in Florida with the most DUI deaths on St. Patrick’s Day, we find 5 cities made the list:

“We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. have seen the devastation caused by drunk-driving accidents. We urge everyone to be responsible and not drink and drive. If you are planning a get-together at a home party, please follow precautions when serving alcoholic beverages. Drunk-driving accidents are preventable,” said Fort Myers DUI Accident Attorney Randall Spivey.

Fort Myers DUI Accident Attorney Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one percent (1%) of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com. Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County at 239.793.7748.