CRIME, POLICE + COURTS
Utah Highway Patrol says don’t press your luck on St. Patrick’s Day
Mar 16, 2022, 9:18 PM | Updated: Dec 29, 2022, 11:43 am
The Utah Highway Patrol says a deceased body was found along westbound I-80 near milepost 93 on Wednesday afternoon. (Utah Highway Patrol)
(Utah Highway Patrol)
SALT LAKE CITY — With Thursday being St. Patrick’s Day, the Utah Highway Patrol would like to remind those celebrating the day to be sure to do so responsibly.
To ensure the safety of all drivers, the UHP will have officers from 15 agencies from around state working more than 50 additional DUI shifts through the end of the weekend.
Travel safely on St. Patrick’s Day
The UHP says if you plan to drink, make sure you have plans made in advance for a safe ride home.
According to statistics provided by the UHP, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest days to be on the roads. During five St. Patrick’s Day periods (2015-2019), 280 individuals were killed in drunk-driving crashes.
In 2019, more than 10,000 people around the country were killed in a drunk-driving crash. During St. Patrick’s Day period of 2019, a total of 57 people were killed in DUI crashes.
Additionally, 32 percent of pedestrians killed in crashes in 2019 had a blood alcohol level at or above .08. With this in mind, the UHP encourages all individuals who plan to drink to arrange for a ride home.
Drunk driving is costly
The UHP says that on average a DUI can cost $10,000 in attorney’s fees, court costs, fines, higher insurance rates and lost time at work.
According to the UHP, DUI crashes in 2010 cost the United States $44 billion.
The UHP also says a DUI can cause the loss of an individual’s vehicle and driver’s license, which can lead to the loss of employment.
The UHP says if you see a drunk driver, call 911 to report it.
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