5 Important St. Patrick’s Day Safety Tips Everyone Should Follow
This Friday, everyone is going to be donning their green clothing and going out to celebrate this Irish holiday. But before you head out for the night, it’s important to read up on some St. Patrick’s Day safety tips.
For most Ontario residents, St. Patrick’s Day means drinking green beer, pints of Guinness, and doing Irish car bombs in a Celtic pub. And since this day involves lots of drinking, the number of impaired driving accidents skyrockets.
Between 2011, and 2015, there were 252 deaths on St. Patrick’s Day from drunk driving accidents. That’s not even counting the accidents that resulted in serious injury.
On St. Patrick’s Day, the luck o’ the Irish won’t help you if you choose to get in your car and drive while intoxicated.
Follow these essential St. Patrick’s Day safety tips to make sure you enjoy your green beer as safely as possible.
Ontario Drinking and Driving Laws
In 2000, the Supreme Court of Canada raised the maximum sentence for those convicted of impaired driving causing death. It is now set at a maximum life sentence.
If you get behind the wheel after drinking, you could spend the rest of your life in jail because of one stupid decision.
Legally, you are driving under the influence if your blood alcohol level is 0.08%, or 80 milligrams of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of blood in your system.
When you are pulled over for suspected impaired driving in Canada, you will be administered a roadside breathalyzer test. If you fail this test, you can face several penalties, depending on your history with drinking and driving.
Here are the penalties you could face:
- First time: 3 day license suspension and $180 fine.
- Second time within 5 years: 7 day license suspension, $180 fine, and mandatory participation in an education program.
- Third time within 5 years: 30 day license suspension, six month breathalyzer ignition interlock, $180 fine, and mandatory participation in a treatment program.
The Tragic Reality of Drunk Driving
Impaired driving can result in fatal consequences for you, your passengers, or innocent drivers on the road. When you make this decision, you are putting many lives at risk and making the roads a dangerous place.
Here are some really scary facts that should hit home just how serious the consequences of impaired driving are.
- Every day, 4 Canadians are killed in drunk driving accidents, and 175 are injured.
- Each year, between 1,250 and 1,500 Canadians are killed, and 63,000 are injured, from drunk driving accidents.
Don’t be another statistic. Make the right choice this St. Patrick’s Day with the following tips.
5 St. Patrick’s Day Safety Tips That Will Leave You With no Excuse to Drink and Drive
There is never an excuse for drinking and driving. In fact, here are 5 reliable ways you can avoid drinking and driving and enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
1. Use a Designated Driving Service Like Keys to Us
Keys to Us is a designated driving service in the GTA. When you call them, they will send 2 drivers to come and get you. One driver will drive you home, and the other will drive your car home.
This way, if you’ve driven somewhere and unexpectedly drink too much, you’ll still have your car at home the next morning.
They also have a dedicated driver service that lets you hire a personal driver for the night.
The number for Keys to Us is 1-800-439-0339.
2. Call a Cab
If you live in the GTA, there are always cabs waiting. But it’s also useful have some phone numbers on hand. Here are some important cab numbers to know:
- Circle Taxi, Whitby: 905-668-6666
- Bell Taxi, Whitby and Ajax: 905-668-8888
- City-Wide Taxi, Oshawa: 905-579-9393
- Astro Taxi, Vaughan and surrounding area: 905-738-3311
Taking a cab might be a more expensive option, but impaired driving charges cost much more.
3. Assign a Friend to be the Designated Driver
No one really wants to be the designated driver. But the legal consequences of driving under the influence just aren’t worth it.
If you can convince a friend to be the designated driver for the evening, take your turn on the next holiday. And make sure you reward them with gas money, food, or a non-alcoholic beverage on you.
4. Order an Uber
Uber is the newest ride-sharing program to hit the GTA.
All you have to do is create an account and link your credit card on the app. Then, when you’re ready for your ride, tap to order. Uber will connect you with the closest nearby drivers to your pickup location.
When your ride is over, your credit card is charged, so you don’t have to worry about having cash on you.
5. Stay in and Host Your Own St. Patrick’s Day Party
Hosting the party helps you ensure that everyone stays safe. Not just yourself, but all of your party guests.
Staying in is also a cheaper option for those who are looking to save money.
Let friends crash on your couch for the night if they need to. Sure, you might be inconvenienced, but you’ll be able to live with yourself knowing they didn’t drive home drunk and hit someone.
If You’re Hit by a Drunk Driver, Conte & Associates Will Get Justice For You
No matter how safe and responsible you are when it comes to avoiding drinking and driving, there’s always someone who’s willing to make the fatal mistake. And when you suffer because someone else was reckless, you deserve compensation.
At Conte & Associates, we’ve seen the destruction someone’s stupid decision can make. And we don’t want you to suffer more than you already have.
We’ll fight for you to demand the right compensation and settlement so you can get on with your life. Accidents happen, but we can help you get through this difficult time.
Contact us now for a free, no-obligation consultation to start getting your life on track.
