Plainfield Cops Promise Crackdown On St. Patrick's Day Drunk Drivers

You may want to rethink having that extra green beer this St. Patrick’s Day if you haven’t designed a sober driver.

Plainfield police will be conducting special patrols starting this weekend in an effort to curb over imbibing at St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The special patrols are scheduled to start March 13 and continue through March 22. Police will be working overtime to stop drivers that show signs of impaired driving. Unbuckled drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts will also be ticketed.

If you plan on drinking alcohol, designate a sober driver or make transportations plans ahead of time, such as lining up a taxi or handing your car keys over to your party host, before you start partying. The luck of the Irish will run out if you get stopped for a DUI.

Plainfield cops also offer these helpful tips and reminders for St. Paddy’s Day celebrations.

If you are hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party:

• Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you serve is involved in a drunk driving crash;
• Make sure all of your guests designate a sober driver in advance or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers;
• Serve lots of food and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party;
• Keep the phone numbers for local cab companies handy and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving drunk.

If you are attending a St. Patrick’s Day party:

• Designate a sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys;
• If you do not have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home, call a cab, sober friend or family member to pick you up or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober;
• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while drunk;
• Always buckle up – it is still your best defense against a drunk driver.

Plainfield police say they will show zero tolerance for intoxicated revelers caught driving, so don’t let a DUI ruin your St. Patrick’s Day fun.

The St. Patrick’s Day Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Crackdown is funded by federal traffic safety funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and administered through IDOT’s Division of Transportation Safety.