For decades, Americans across the country have come together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. This year, expect celebrations to begin on March 15, because St. Patrick’s Day is on a Sunday and will mark the end of weekend festivals. With spring arriving, it is a great opportunity to get out and take advantage of Woodland events planned Friday through Sunday by a few downtown restaurants. These merchants will offer live music, games and contests, and delicious food. The fun starts Friday night with Corned Beef and Cabbage specials. A street party on Saturday features Irish dancers at 9 a.m. and live music from 12 noon until 9 p.m. Finally, get your Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies from noon to 3 p.m. and live music from 1 to 8 p.m. on Sunday. We are fortunate that our downtown merchants have planned such a variety of activities for all ages. Every successful activity starts with good planning. Make sure that you, your family, and friends enjoy the weekend from beginning to end by making a commitment to share some planning tips that will ensure that you all have a good time. The following guidelines have been put into place over time to avoid pitfalls that others have experienced on holiday weekends. St. Patrick’s Day is one of America’s top ten holidays and one of the top four holidays for drinking alcoholic beverages. This has led to dangerous driving conditions as party-goers head home. Even one drink can be too many. If you’re heading out, remember the federal Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) motto: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Tragically, the NHTSA had to coin phrases like this one, in part, because March 17 has become a dangerous holiday on our nation’s roads. According to the agency, during the 2017 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period, 59 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes. The early hours of March 18, 2017, were the most dangerous. Between midnight and 6 a.m., three-fourths of all crash fatalities involved drunk drivers. In fact, from 2013 to 2017, over one-third of the drunk-driving fatalities during this holiday period involved drivers who had blood alcohol concentrations well above the .08 limit. Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle. Drunk driving isn’t the only risk on the road. Drug-impaired driving is an increasing problem. If drivers are impaired by any substance—alcohol or drugs—they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Driving while impaired is illegal, period. The bottom line is this: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. This simple phrase can help to keep everyone safe on the roads and St. Patrick’s Day a pleasant holiday for Woodland. Finances can also be devastated by an incident while driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. On average, a DUI can cost $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing and repairs, and more. Based on the most recent cost data available from NHTSA, impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually. This only includes tangible losses. When quality of life issues, such as modifying a home for wheelchair access or child care when a parent is in the hospital or incarcerated are included, the NHTSA estimated costs are $836 billion per year. This simply emphasizes that drinking and driving should never be combined. It’s essential to plan a sober ride in advance if the holiday celebration will include alcohol. The alternative could change your life, not to mention the lives of innocent drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. To stay safe, please help the Woodland Police Department and all other law enforcement agencies by sharing these these guidelines:

• Designate a sober driver. If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. If you are the designated driver, take that role seriously. Your friends are relying on you.
• Call 911 if you see a drunk driver on the road. You will be connected to the appropriate law enforcement agency based on your location if you call from a cell phone. Commit these facts to memory:
  • Exact location of the vehicle including the street, driving direction, and cross streets.
  • Description of the vehicle, including make, model, color, and license number.
  • Pull off of the road or use hands-free calling.
  • Do not follow the car.
• Be a friend to a friend who is about to drive after drinking. Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

Teach these rules to others for a safe St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Woodland. To keep it simple: Designate. Download. Call 911. Be a friend. Use the acronym DDCB to remember. It can also stand for Drunk Drivers Can Be Helped! Make your plans, buy your shamrocks and green hats, enjoy the festivities, and support Woodland’s merchants. Whether you’re driving yourself or your friends, make sure you stay sober or plan for a sober ride home. Please share these guidelines to help our peace officers keep Woodland safe.