Over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6:00 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 272 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes between 2017 and 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency.

During the 2021 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period, 47 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes.

Year after year, the rate of impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes is higher at night on St. Patrick’s Day, the traffic agency said.

In 2021, 41 of the 47 traffic fatalities involving an impaired driver during the holiday period occurred in the nighttime hours (6:00 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.), while 31 daytime fatalities in drunk-driving crashes occurred between 2017 and 2021 over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period.

Across the U.S., it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 g/d.

Anticipating a rise in impaired driving during the upcoming holiday period, AAA is activating ‘Tow to Go’ in certain markets (FL, GA, IA, MI, ND, NE, TN, WI, CO -Denver, NC -Charlotte, IN -Fort Wayne/South Bend) to assist revelers in avoiding getting behind the wheel.

When someone calls Tow to Go, AAA dispatches a tow truck to transport the impaired driver and their vehicle to a safe location within a 10-mile radius.

Since its inception, the program has removed more than 30,000 impaired drivers from the road within the states the program is offered.

The service is free for anyone between 6 p.m. Friday, March 15 to 6 a.m. Monday, March 18, though AAA asks that it be treated as a last resort.

The phone number is (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246.

“We’re proud to provide an additional alternative to driving impaired,” said Gene LaDoucer, regional director of public affairs, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “We also remain committed to educating the public about the important of arranging for a safe ride before drinking alcohol or taking drugs.”