Deputies To Conduct St. Patrick Weekend DUI Patrols in Lake Forest

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department DUI Task Force will be deploying roving DUI patrols during this St. Patrick’s Day Holiday weekend in Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and Rancho Santa Margarita.

Statistically, drunken drivers aren’t just drunk on St. Patrick’s Day, they are extremely drunk.

According to the, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, “St. Patrick’s Day has become a deadly day in the United States, with a dramatic spike in drunk-driving fatalities. In 2013, there were 31 people killed in drunk-driving crashes on March 17. From 2009 to 2013, there have been 276 drunk-driving fatalities around the holiday, with almost three-fourths of the drivers being twice the legal limit.”

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department DUI Task Force offered this advice to partygoers: “Get ahead of the decision this year. If you know you’re going to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with alcohol, make a plan ahead of time for how you’ll get home. Don’t wait until you’re too buzzed to decide, and don’t let your friends drive drunk.”

Use this party-planning checklist to stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day:

• Plan to drive sober or designate someone else to. If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to get home safely. Save the number of a taxi company in your phone so you always have a backup plan.
• Before you take your first sip of green beer, leave your keys at home or give them to a friend.
• If you know people who are about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.
• If you’re the designated driver, don’t drink. Enjoy non-alcoholic beverages and brag about your VIP (very important partygoer) status online using the hashtag #designateddriver. Only drive sober or ride with a sober driver.
• Use the DDVIP app. The California Office of Traffic Safety DDVIP app is now available for free download on iOS and Android devices. Launched last year, the new app offers enhanced features, allowing users to “Map a Spot” with their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or a “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout California. Also through the app, users who consume alcohol can easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb – all from one screen.

Submitted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department