Extra MD Police Patrols, Checkpoints On St. Patrick’s Day Weekend

PIKESVILLE, MD — Multiple Maryland police agencies have geared up with extra patrols and plans for sobriety checkpoints to catch drunk and impaired drivers on the roads this St. Patrick's Day weekend. Maryland State Police will conduct saturation patrols at each of the 23 barracks focusing on impaired, aggressive and distracted driving.

The crackdown will include saturation patrols in areas known to have a higher number of DUI crashes or arrests, and sobriety checkpoints are planned, the department said in a news release.

During last year’s St. Patrick’s Day holiday (March 16 to 18, 2018), state police made 105 DUI arrests, 32 criminal arrests and 15 drug-related arrests. Troopers also issued 1,141 speeding citations, 90 seat belt citations and 2,700 other citations.

The State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort Team, otherwise known as the SPIDRE team, will be out in full force this weekend. From March 8 to 11, the SPIDRE team made 17 DUI arrests; its officers target areas across the state with high crash rates involving impaired drivers, authorities said.

According to the Maryland Department of Transportation, 558 people died on Maryland’s roads and roughly one-third of those involved impaired driving in 2017. Impaired drivers injured 3,200 in 2017.

In addition to state efforts, Baltimore County Police warned drivers that the department has a specialized DUI Task Force that will be out this weekend with increased patrols.

"They'd much rather you drive sober than have to pull you over. If you plan to drink, plan ahead for a sober ride home," the department posted on Facebook.

And, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police will have extra officers throughout the state this weekend to deter and detect impaired drivers.

"There is no excuse for driving impaired. With the availability of public transportation and ride-share services, there really isn't a good reason to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol," said MDTA Police Chief Colonel Jerry Jones in a news release.

Lyft is offering a SoberRide service from 4 p.m. on Sunday to 4 a.m. on Monday throughout Lyft's Washington, D.C. coverage area, which includes Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties in Virginia, plus the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park; Washington, D.C.; and all or parts of Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland.

Residents 21 and older can enter the SoberRide promo code in the Lyft app to receive a $15 credit. The promo code will be posted on SoberRide.com March 17.

People anywhere around the country can use the Safer Ride app, sponsored by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, to locate taxi services in the area.

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