Impaired driving campaign begins in advance of St. Patrick’s Day

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, authorities are reminding drivers to not get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking.

They also are reminding motorists to be aware of how prescription medication, which includes medical marijuana, can interact with alcohol.

“More than half of our DUI arrests now are considered polydrug, where they’re a combination of alcohol and some type of drug,” said Cathy Tress, regional DUI program administrator with the PA DUI Association.

State and municipal police are partnering with PennDOT District 12, Highway Safety Network and the association on an impaired driving campaign that runs until March 17.

In 2024, there were eight crashes in Westmoreland County on St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Four were either alcohol- or drug-related, and eight people were hurt, said Emily Swecker, safety press officer for PennDOT District 12, which covers Westmoreland, Washington, Fayette and Greene counties.

“Our goal is to reduce that number to zero because impaired driving crashes are preventable,” she said.

Trooper Tristan Tappe asked drivers to avoid impaired driving as a means to keep the community safe.

“We’re doing our due diligence to be seen and to have checkpoints … to make sure that you’re doing your due diligence as a community member to adhere to those laws,” she said.

Some drivers who do end up being arrested for impaired driving will be required to get an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicles. A breath sample must be provided before the vehicle will start, said Aaron Gold, ignition interlock technician with the PA DUI Association.

In 2024, there were 13,335 vehicles with the devices installed. Last year, there were more than 8,000 attempts to start a vehicle by a person who was impaired, he said. The legal blood-alcohol content limit to drive in Pennsylvania is 0.08%.

“Thankfully, due to these interlock devices, those attempts to drive under the influence of alcohol were prevented,” he said.