Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and members of the Allegheny County Safety Partners hosted a “Responsible and Sober Pregame” today to promote awareness surrounding impaired driving and pedestrian crashes ahead of the City of Pittsburgh’s rescheduled Saint Patrick’s Day parade.

Held on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus in Schenley Plaza, Oakland, campus police joined the Safety Partners to pass out individually wrapped cookies and bottled water with safety messages, reminding everyone to be safe and smart while celebrating at the parade.

As the City of Pittsburgh’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade has been rescheduled from last March to this Saturday, September 18, pedestrian and vehicle traffic is expected increase in the city. Drivers, whether a part of the festivities or not, are advised to exercise patience and to be vigilant of the activities happening on roadways. Local law enforcement will also increase impaired driving enforcement efforts to keep the public safe.

According to preliminary PennDOT data, from 2016 to 2020 there were 4,867 alcohol-related crashes and 87 fatalities in Allegheny County alone. Additionally, there were 1,875 pedestrian crashes resulting in 66 fatalities during the same timeframe in the county.

To combat these statistics, the partners encourage motorists and pedestrians to plan ahead and celebrate responsibly. Motorists should designate a sober driver, use public transportation, or a ride share service. A person is considered alcohol-impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. However, someone with a lower BAC can have impaired judgment and reaction times as well.

Pedestrians are also encouraged to plan for safe travel by designating a “sober walker” to ensure everyone makes it to their destination safely. Pedestrians are also reminded to walk smart by crossing at intersections, using crosswalks, looking both ways before crossing the street, and overall being aware of their surroundings.

The Allegheny County Safety Partners consist of the AAA East Central, Allegheny County Health Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Pretrial Services, Allegheny County Sheriff Department, Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project.

For more information, visit www.PennDOT.gov/safety.

PennDOT’s media center offers resources for safety organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders. Social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as seat belts, impaired driving and distracted driving can be found online at www.PennDOT.gov in the “Media Center” under the “About Us” footer.

For regional updates, follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPittsburgh and join the Greater Pittsburgh Area PennDOT Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/pittsburghpenndot.

MEDIA CONTACT: Yasmeen Manyisha, 412-429-5044 or ymanyisha@pa.gov

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