The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a special impaired driving campaign Thursday.

For many, St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular night out to celebrate with family and friends, but due to the large number of impaired drivers, the night also has become very dangerous for motorists, Sheriff’s Office officials said. In addition to patrol deputies, the Aggressive Driving Unit will be actively looking for impaired drivers throughout Osceola County.

In 2009, 37 percent of the drivers and motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol content of .08 or above, according to the statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Additional statistics show there were 103 crash fatalities on St. Patrick’s Day and of those, 47 people were killed in traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcyclist with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher.

“If you plan on consuming alcohol, don’t drive. Always use a designated driver because driving impaired is simply not worth the risk,” Sheriff Bob Hansell stated.