St. Patrick’s Day is a time of celebration, but it also brings a clear traffic safety risk. In the United States, alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious problem during this holiday period, especially at night and in the early morning hours. Data from the 2023 St. Patrick’s Day holiday show that young drivers aged 21 to 34 accounted for the highest share of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes, while nighttime driving was especially dangerous.

The numbers underline how severe the problem is. Between 2019 and 2023, 38% of traffic fatalities during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday involved drunk drivers. In 2023 alone, 63 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes during this period, and many of those cases involved very high blood alcohol levels. Fatal crashes during the holiday also affected different road users, including passenger car drivers and motorcyclists, showing that the consequences of impaired driving reach far beyond the person behind the wheel.

That is why the message behind NHTSA’s campaign is simple and important: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Even a small amount of alcohol can affect judgement and driving ability. The safest approach is to make a plan before the celebrations begin, whether by choosing a sober driver, calling a taxi, or using a rideshare service. St. Patrick’s Day can still be festive, but getting behind the wheel after drinking should never be part of the tradition.

Find more from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USA, March 2026)