This Thursday is St. Patrick’s Day and EPPD officers will be on the lookout for drivers who have had too much green beer!

St. Patrick’s Day can be a dangerous time due to the increased number of impaired drivers on the road. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, St. Patrick’s Day ranks second among all holidays for the number of DWIs per hour (4.6). In Eden Prairie so far this year, 44 people have been arrested for DWI. Don’t be the next one!

It’s easy to enjoy a festive and safe celebration without jeopardizing your life or the lives of others. Here are a few tips:

• Plan ahead if you’ll be drinking and arrange a safe way home before the festivities begin.
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and give that person your keys.
• If you’re impaired, call a taxi or ridesharing program, use public transportation, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, promptly call 911. You could save someone’s life.
• Remember, friends don’t let friends drive impaired. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride with someone who is impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.