(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – While the official St. Patrick’s Day is Monday, March 17, the Alaska State Troopers will ramp up enforcement efforts from March 14 through March 18. Alaska State Troopers patrol units, alongside the Bureau of Highway Patrol troopers, will be working extra hours and focusing their efforts on curbing impaired and dangerous driving.

Regardless of what your ultimate plans are for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Troopers encourage you to always practice safe driving behaviors on the roads while traveling to and from your destination. If you consume drugs or alcohol, plan to either stay the night or to have a sober driver take you home. Always have a plan to get home safely.

Boosting public awareness regarding the dangers of impaired driving, along with other driver behavior issues, helps to decrease the number of fatal and serious injury crashes. Speeding, reckless and aggressive driving, driver inattention, and failure to wear seatbelts or use child safety restraints all contribute to injury and death on Alaska’s roads.

The Alaska State Troopers, as well as local law enforcement agencies, believe that persistent public education will help deter motorists from making poor driving decisions while behind the wheel and help save lives.

Troopers also encourage everyone to Report Every Dangerous Driver Immediately by calling 9‐1‐1.

Funding for the media campaign and enforcement effort is provided in part by grant sources distributed through the Alaska Highway Safety Office.