Decorah Police Department is participating in a special traffic enforcement initiative to keep our roads safe

The Decorah Police Department will be stepping up traffic enforcement over the next few days in order to make Iowa roads safer during the days surrounding the St. Patrick's Day holiday.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 39 percent of all vehicle crash fatalities nationally during these days in 2016 were the result of drunk drivers (69 percent between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. on March 18th).

Law enforcement officers across Iowa will be watching for drunk drivers and vehicle occupants not wearing a seat belt.

The Decorah Police Department reminds drivers that buzzed driving is drunk driving. Don't do it.

Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

Drunk driving is preventable. It's not worth the risk of injury, jail time, your death, or the death of another person. Don't do it.