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 Leprechauns might not be providing the ride home on St. Patrick’s Day, but Santa Fe County still wants you to take a $5 Cab Ride Home or designate a sober driver. St. Patrick's Day brings to mind shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, and good luck. No amount of luck can save you from a drunk-driving arrest or crash, however a cab ride home can improve your odds.  The Santa Fe County DWI Program is offering the $5 Cab Ride Home on St. Patrick’s Day.  The subsidized cab will run from 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday through 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.  To call for a Cab Ride Home call 505-438-0000.

“Make luck go your way by taking a Cab Ride Home, getting arrested for DWI a second time is TwoTooMany.  You could lose your car when arrested a second time, don’t drink and drive,” said Lupe Sanchez, Santa Fe County DWI Program Coordinator.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) has become a dangerous day. During the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day weekend more than a third (40 percent) of all crash fatalities involved drunk drivers nationwide. The night of March 17 was especially bad with half of all crash fatalities involving drunk drivers. From 2009 to 2013, almost three-fourths of the drunk-driving fatalities on St. Patrick’s Day involved drivers who were twice the legal limit. Buzzed or drunk on St. Patrick’s Day, it doesn’t matter. The Santa Fe County DWI Program wants to remind everyone to Think SaFeand Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving, drive sober.

• NOW:Even if you don’t have plans yet, plan to drive sober, designate someone else to, or plan on taking a cab. Save the Cab Ride Home number in your phone (438-0000).
• WHEN YOU MAKE PLANS:A sober driver is an essential part of any party plan. Once you know where you’ll celebrate, decide whether you’re drinking ordriving. You can only choose one.
• ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY:Before you take your first sip of green beer, leave your keys at home or give them to a friend. If you’re the designated driver, don’t drink. Enjoy non-alcoholic beverages and brag about your VIP (very important partygoer) status online using the hashtag #designateddriver. Only drive sober or ride with a sober driver.
• EVERY DAY:If you’re impaired, call for a Cab Ride Home, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to get home safely. If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.                     

Drunk driving has fatal consequences. If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local police immediately by calling 9-1-1 or you can dial #DWI (#394). You could save a life.