Here in Wisconsin, St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally a day of fun and celebration. There are numerous events in the Fox Valley, including the famous St. Patrick’s Day parade in New London, Wisconsin. However, St. Patrick’s Day is also one of the most dangerous days of the year, so it is important to remember some statistics.
According to the National Safety Council, the odds of dying in a motor vehicle crash are 1 in 114. Those odds are only lower than four other categories including the odds of dying from heart disease and cancer (1 in 7), chronic lower respiratory disease (1 in 28), intentional self-harm (1 in 95), and unintentional poisoning and exposure to noxious substances (1 in 96). St. Patrick’s Day brings even more risk. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were a total of 269 drunk driving deaths across America on St. Patrick’s Day between 2012 and 2016. Moreover, again according to NHTSA, nearly 69% of crash fatalities between the hours of midnight to 5:59 a.m. involve drunk drivers. Some statistical services estimate that as many as 20% of adults plan on having a drink to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
At Hammett, Bellin & Oswald, LLC, we represent the injured victims of motor vehicle, trucking, and drunk driving crashes throughout Wisconsin. We do not need to see any extra cases after St. Patrick’s Day. So here is a reminder to everyone in Appleton and throughout the Fox Valley to be smart and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day responsibly. If you are going to drink, there are many options other than driving, including Uber, taxi, bus, designated driver, and safe-ride operations.