Sheriff urges safe driving during St. Patrick?s Day

Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee, along with the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Iowa Governor?s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) are urging partiers this St. Patrick?s Day to find a safe ride home if you plan on drinking.

Before you decide to go out and drink, line up a designated sober driver, utilize GTSB?s and AAA?s Tow to Go Program, or find another alternative ride home.

St. Patrick?s Day is one of the deadliest holidays in America. Last year, there were zero fatalities in Iowa over the St. Patrick?s Day holiday (March 17-20, 2016), but there were 458 crashes resulting in 756 injuries, of which 16 were serious. A majority of the serious crashes on St. Patrick? Day happen between midnight and 6 a.m.

Remember that wearing your seat belt will provide the most protection in the event you don?t have the ?luck of the Irish? and are involved in a crash.