Woonsocket Police Put On Extra St. Patrick's Day Week Patrols

WOONSOCKET, RI — The Woonsocket Police Department will have extra patrols out as it looks to deter impaired driving during this year's celebration of the Irish. Woonsocket police said the patrols in addition to the weekend impaired driving patrols will begin Friday and continue until 6 a.m. on Wednesday.

"If you play to drink any alcoholic beverage — even a watered-down green beer — it's essential that you plan for a designated driver," Woonsocket police said in a notification about the added patrols.

In 2018, 73 people were killed nationwide in drunk-driving crashes from 6 p.m. on March 16 to 6 a.m. on March 18. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association, there were 36,560 people killed in traffic crashes in 2018 with 10,511 of those crashes (29 percent) occurring when the driver has a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit of .08.

In Rhode Island there were 59 fatal crashes in 2018 with 20 of them involving drunk drivers. RI also has had six pedestrian deaths in 2020 and police ask that drivers pay attention for those pedestrians who may have had too much to drink and wander out into a road due to a lack of situational awareness on or around St. Patrick's Day.