CHARLESTON, W.Va. –“Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” is the message the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges residents to remember as they plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Sgt. and Traffic Coordinator for the CPD, Jessi Redden

According to the NHTSA, between 2018 and 2022, 38% of the traffic fatalities that occurred during the holiday drunk drivers were involved.

Sgt. and Traffic Coordinator with the Charleston Police Department Jessi Redden says these numbers are so high because the atmosphere of going out with your friends fuels the holiday for people.

“It’s one of those holidays to go drinking with your friends so that’s what amps it up for one of the more volatile holidays for crashes and things like that,” Redden said.

In 2022, there were 74 vehicle fatalities, 49 of them had drivers that had a BAC of almost twice the legal limit.

She said that if you drink, you’re taking that risk of causing a crash and killing someone.

“Drinking and driving you could potentially cause a crash, killing yourself, a family member, a friend or someone else’s family, whenever you take that chance, whether you’re tipsy or you think that you’re sober but you’re not,” she said.

They urge anyone planning on drinking at any time during the holiday to plan ahead.

“If you’re going to go out for St. Patrick’s Day or any holiday, just prepare to get an Uber, a taxi, have a DD,” Redden said. “If you’re going to do a pub crawl you can set those up later for your friends or your parents to come pick you up.”

They said she you never wait until after you started to drink to try and find a safe way home.

If someone has drank and finds themselves unable to drive, they should give their keys to someone who is sober so they can get you home safe.

However, Redden says that if you think someone is going to attempt to drink and drive, they need to be proactive to keep a crash from happening.

“Cut them off at the bar, take their cars, hide the keys but legitimately you’ll be saving a life, if it isn’t your friends then it would be somebody else’s family member out on the road,” she said.

She said that state, local and highway police will be out patrolling during the holiday.

To learn more about impaired driving you can go to the NHTSA’s website here.