Authorities urge citizens to celebrate responsibly

If you are planning on joining in the St. Patrick's Day festivities this weekend, keep others in mind when you decide whether to skip out on that Uber ride.

According to WalletHub, 75 percent of fatal car crashes on St. Patrick's Day involved a driver with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit of 0.08.

Authorities will be faced with the challenge of having the holiday fall on a Friday.  A March Madness Friday.  And the forecast does not help matters as the weather could turn rainy later in the night when most parties begin to die down.

"It can certainly be a dangerous time on the roadways, not only for motorists but for pedestrians," says Ragina Cooper-Averella of AAA Mid-Atlantic.  "So again, even if you're drinking and you're not planning to drive, but planning to walk, if you're intoxicated you might want to call an Uber or a Lyft or a cab as well."

In Delaware, police report 252 people died thanks to drunk driving from 2011 to 2015, an average of just over 50 people during those fatal 12 hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.  Delaware State Police plan to enforce at least three checkpoints at Rehoboth Beach, Dover and Bear.

Between March 16 and 21 last year, Maryland State Police arrested 153 intoxicated drivers.  This year Maryland officers will be enforcing a zero tolerance policy at its 23 barracks.