Submitted by the Seal Beach Police Department

s one of the country's most popular holidays, St. Patrick's Day has long celebrated the roots of 34.2 million Americans with Irish ancestry, and many more who just want to partake in the festivities. This year, if you'll be drinking alcohol, remember: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Tragically, March 17th has become one of the nation's deadliest holidays. In fact, from 2010 to 2014, almost three-fourths of the drunk-driving fatalities during this holiday period involved drivers who were well above the .08 limit, with 266 drunk-driving fatalities nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Chief Stilinovich quote: "To help lower deaths and injuries, the Seal Beach Police Department will be deploying extra officers, targeting problem areas with high numbers of DUI collisions and DUI arrests. These DUI patrols along with routine nightly patrols will be looking for the tell-tale signs of impaired driving. Help us make St. Patrick's Day a safe and fun time. Don't drink and drive". And keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink: walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention could put you at risk of getting hit by a vehicle. Whether you've indulged a little or a lot, law enforcement wants to remind everyone that drinking and driving is a crime —you put yourself and others at risk and the consequences are often fatal.