Courtesy Photo/Cape Elizabeth Police Department

CAPE ELIZABETH — Make sure to plan a sober ride home this Saint Patrick’s Day. 

That’s the message from the Cape Elizabeth Police Department as they warn people to be careful on the roads this St. Patrick’s Day. According to police, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the biggest drinking nights of the year, resulting in an increase in impaired driving. Those who have been drinking, should plan ahead for a sober ride home.  

It is never OK to drink and drive even if it is just one, said the department. If a person has been nominated as the designated driver, take that job very seriously. If a person sees a friend about to get behind the wheel, make sure to take the keys away and make arrangements for them to get home safe.  

According to a statement from the Cape Elizabeth Police Department, numerous accidents happen each year on St. Patrick’s Day. The department reminds people that walking home after a night out of drinking is not advisable, either. In, 2019, 32 percent of pedestrians killed in traffic have had a blood alcohol level of at or above .08. 

“St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times on our nation’s roads” wrote the Cape Elizabeth Police Department in an email. “During the 2015-2019 St. Patrick’s Day period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 280 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes. In 2019, drunk driving killed more than 10,000 people in our country, and every single one of those deaths was preventable. Do your part this St. Patrick’s Day: If you drink, plan a sober ride.”