Keeping drivers safe on St. Patrick's Day

All day Thursday, and well into the night, South Florida will celebrate St. Patrick's Day. That means a lot of people will be drinking.

National statistics show the number of crashes involving drunk driving rises on St. Patrick's Day. National and local groups hope to prevent drunk driving this St. Patrick's Day.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on St. Patrick's Day in 2009 37 percent of drivers involved in a fatal crash had a blood alcohol level of .08 or above.  Also in 2009, 47 people were killed in a crash that involved a drunk driver.

AAA has a "tow-to-go" program that allows drivers to get a confidential ride and tow free of charge on St. Patrick's Day. The number for the "tow-to-go" program is 1- 800-AAA-HELP.