Palos Park Police Plan DUI Patrols, Offer Rides Home St. Patrick's Day

PALOS PARK, IL -- The Palos Park Police Department wants to keep Irish eyes are smiling this St. Patrick’s Day, instead of the usual “red, bloodshot eyes” officers encounter when pulling over an impaired driver.

That’s why police are giving advance warning to residents and visitors that Palos Park officers will be paying extra attention to signs of impaired or distracted driving this Friday, March, 17, which also happens to be St. Patrick’s Day.

Palos Park Police are encouraging folks to plan ahead for a safe ride home this St. Patrick’s Day. If you plan on drinking, designate a sober driver. A day of celebrating can quickly turn to tragedy because of impaired driving.

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St. Patrick's Day is one of the deadliest holidays due to the number of drunk drivers on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period from 2010 to 2014 saw the loss of 266 lives nationally due to drunk-driving crashes. In 2014, alone, 29 people (28 percent of all crash fatalities) were killed in drunk-driving crashes over this period.

Before heading out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, plug in some numbers for local taxi companies, designate a sober driver or hire a ride sharing program, such as Uber or Lyft, to get you home safely.

If you’re in Palos Park and have had too much to drink, call the Palos Park Police Department at 708-448-2191, or you can contact Chief Joe Miller’s cell phone at 708-259-1053. Police will drop you off at your residence, but officers won’t take you to another bar or party.