The Avoid the 6 El Dorado County DUI Task Force will be deploying roving DUI patrols on St. Patrick’s Day in several communities throughout the area, looking to stop and arrest drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs. These DUI patrols are, in addition to regularly scheduled patrol officers, all looking for the tell-tale signs of an impaired driver behind the wheel.

In 2013, there were 31 people killed in drunken driving crashes on St. Patrick’s Day. During the St. Paddy’s Day period from 2009 to 2013, there have been 276 drunken driving fatalities. March 17 has become a deadly day in the United States, with a dramatic spike in drunken driving fatalities.

The El Dorado District Attorney’s Office offers this advice to partygoers: “Get ahead of the decision this year. If you know you’re going to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with alcohol, then figure out a plan ahead of time for how you’ll get home. Don’t wait until you’re too buzzed to decide, and don’t let your friends drive drunk.”