In an effort to prevent drunk-driving fatalities, the Cache County Sheriff’s Office will be deploying extra deputies on St. Patrick’s Day this Tuesday.
According to Chief Deputy Matt Bilodeau of Cache County, the additional prevention measure comes at no extra cost to the sheriff’s office.
“We get federal money for alcohol prevention, and that’s usually focused on some of those weekends where the drinking becomes a little bit more heavy,” Bilodeau said. “And that’s where we’re able to fund extra patrols coming out.”
As evidenced by alcohol sales over the past few years, Americans commonly celebrate the traditional Irish holiday with alcohol consumption. Studies done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest a strong correlation between St. Patrick’s Day and drunk-driving fatalities. During the holiday weekend in 2013, more than a third of all national crash fatalities involved drunk drivers.
However, according to a study by Recovery Find, a drug rehabilitation organization, Utah has the least bars and liquor stores per capita in the United States and has the lowest rates of binge drinking in any state.
Bilodeau said the state’s apparent lack of interest in alcohol consumption does not necessarily mean lower drunk-driving rates.
“I think it’s as much of an issue here as anywhere,” he said. “I mean, how do you justify the loss of one life? Whether it’s the person that’s been drinking, or somebody who’s been involved in an accident with a drunk driver and they lose their life.”
The Cache County Sheriff’s Office is urging citizens to celebrate responsibly.
“We just want everybody to be safe, to make the decision—long before they start drinking—as to how they’re going to get home,” Bilodeau said. “We just want them to make that decision long before they start consuming the alcohol.”
The American Automobile Association is offering free rides during the holiday.
