Northwest Iowa — The St. Patrick’s Day Weekend is upon us, and numerous law enforcement agencies around the state of Iowa are participating in a Special Traffic Enforcement Program, or sTEP, this weekend.
Trooper Vince Kurtz of the Iowa State Patrol says troopers will be out in force this weekend, looking for impaired drivers.
Kurtz says if you’re celebrating this weekend, and that celebration involves alcohol, choose a Designated Driver.
Trooper Kurtz tells us he’s not telling people to not celebrate, but urging them to do so responsibly.
Over the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend from 2009 to 2013, there were a total of 276 people killed in drunk driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. They say that in 2013, more than 40% of all traffic fatalities during the St. Patrick’s Day period were alcohol related, with that figure jumping to almost 75% between the hours of midnight and 6 am.
