(WTVM) -
Leprechauns, pots of gold,
beads, parties and alcohol are just a few things that define St. Patrick's Day for
many young partygoers.
Unfortunately, driving
sometimes ends up in the mix.
Between 2006 and 2011
there were over 700 fatalities nationwide on St. Patrick's Day and over 40
percent of those were due to alcohol.
We caught up with Harris
Blackwood, the director of the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, who
gives one reason why drinking and driving is not worth it.
"St. Patrick's Day is
a holiday that is often associated with luck - and there's no amount of luck,
no amount of four leaf clovers, no kissing the blarney stone that's going to
get you out of a DUI, and it's going to cost you a pot of gold," said
Blackwood.
Not only could it cost you
a fortune, it could cost you a life.
That is why Rob Folk and
the Columbus Downtown Nightlife Association is working hard to make sure there
is no need to drink and drive this weekend.
"St .Patrick's Day is
one of those nights where you have a lot of people that don't normally come
out, will come out, so we will have extra police downtown," said Folk. "We've
spoken with the cab companies we'll have more cabs available."
In an effort to eliminate
driving under the influence, the office of Highway Safety is distributing
coasters all over bars around Columbus with a bar code on them.
All you have to do is scan
it with your smartphone and it will instantly give you information on where to
get a free ride home.
The Drive Sober Georgia app
does the same thing and is available on the iPhone and Android.
If you have to, make other
arrangements or designate a driver. It is not worth risking your life.
"People are going to party and have a good time and we're not
trying to discourage the party - we're just trying to get them home safely,"
Blackwood said.
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