Extra Police Out In The Bayshore This St. Patrick's Day Weekend

ABERDEEN, NJ — Extra police officers will be out this weekend in the Bayshore region, looking for drunk drivers on St. Patrick's Day.

The Bayshore Task Force, comprised of police departments in Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Hazlet, Holmdel, Highlands, Keyport, Keansburg, Matawan, Middletown and Union Beach, will be deploying officers as part of a DWI Saturation Patrol on March 17.

This is in addition to a sobriety checkpoint that will be set up by the NJ State Police on St. Patrick's Day in the area of Belmar and Neptune Township.

Tragically, March 17 has become a dangerous holiday on our nation’s roads: In 2016 alone, 60 people in the United States were killed in drunk-driving crashes during the St. Paddy’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18).

“St. Patrick’s Day should only be a good time for members of our community,” said Aberdeen Police Chief John Powers, president of the Bayshore Task Force. “But we need your help to make this a reality. A commitment to sober driving keeps our neighborhood roads safe."

Related: St. Patrick's Day DWI Checkpoint Set Up In Belmar, Neptune Area

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period, almost two-fifths (39%) of all motor vehicle crash fatalities involved drunk drivers. The early hours of March 18 didn’t fare much better: Between midnight and 5:59 a.m., nearly three-fourths (69%) of all crash fatalities involved drunk drivers.

In fact, from 2012 to 2016, almost two-fifths (38%) of the drunk-driving fatalities during this holiday period involved drivers who had blood alcohol concentrations well above the .08 limit, with 269 drunk-driving fatalities total.

Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

Image via Shutterstock