WISCONSIN — Local law enforcement agencies and national safety leaders are urging people to not press their luck this St. Patrick’s Day.

Their message is simple: Don’t drink and drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said everyone should “drink responsibly” while celebrating the holiday. The administration said while it understands many celebrate by indulging in alcohol, even “one night of drinking can lead to deadly consequences if plans aren’t made to get home safely.”

NHTSA is emphasizing that "buzzed driving is drunk driving" ahead of the holiday. 

From 2018 to 2022, between 6 p.m. on March 16 through 5:59 a.m. on March 18, 290 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Over the St. Patrick's Day holiday in 2022, 74 people died from alcohol-impaired crashes. 

Drivers between the ages of 21- to 34-years-old "accounted for the highest percentage (34%) of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes during the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day holiday," according to NHTSA. 

NHTSA said nighttime driving over St. Patrick's Day was "significantly" more dangerous than daytime driving, according to 2022 data. NHTSA said 47% of drivers involved in deadly crashes between midnight and 2:59 a.m., were drunk. When looking at the same weekend from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., NHTSA found that 38% of drivers involved in deadly crashes were drunk. 

Over the St. Patrick's Day holiday in 2022, "the rate of drunk passenger car drivers and motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes" was 34% and 41% respectively. 

Even if you’re walking, doing so while intoxicated can turn deadly. NHTSA said in 2020, 30% of pedestrians killed in traffic incidents had blood alcohol concentrations at or above .08. Even those who are walking on the holiday should arrange for a sober ride or sober walking buddy.

NHTSA said for those who plan to drink, they should also plan on a safe, sober ride home. NHTSA said people should not wait until they have already started drinking to make a plan, since alcohol can impair decision-making. NHTSA suggested designating a sober driver, relying on rideshares, utilizing public transportation or calling a taxi. 

NHTSA said if someone has been drinking, it reccomends giving keys to a sober driver to ensure everyone gets home safely. If a friend has been drinking, NHTSA said their friends can be proactive by discouraging them from driving, taking their keys and procuring them a ride. 

If you witness drunk driving, call law enforcement. 

NHTSA issued these reminders for St. Patrick’s Day: