Sheriff's office cracking down on St. Patrick's Day DWIs | Crime

On St. Patrick’s Day, instead of wearing o’the green, you could end up wearing an orange jumpsuit if you drink and drive in Baxter County.

According to an email from Sheriff John Montgomery, his office will “participate in a national effort to step up enforcement of the driving while intoxicated laws during the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Holiday period (March 8-17).”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period has been a deadly one in the past few years.  Between 2006 and 2010, more than 700 people nationwide died in crashes involving a drunk driver.

Sheriff Montgomery offers these tips to make sure everyone has a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you're impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
• If you know people who are about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.