ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland State Police are intensifying efforts to curb aggressive, distracted, and impaired driving over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, from Friday, March 14, to Monday, March 17, 2025. Troopers from all 23 barracks, supported by the State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE) team, will conduct saturation patrols on high-risk roadways, funded by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office.
In the Eastern Region, Berlin, Centreville, Easton, Princess Anne, and Salisbury barracks will target Routes 301 and 50, with Berlin adding troopers for Ocean City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Central Region’s College Park, Forestville, Golden Ring, Rockville, Waterloo, and Westminster barracks will focus on Interstates 495 and 270, and Routes 50, 5, and 301, with Waterloo partnering with Howard County Police and Westminster joining Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and Westminster City Police.
Western Region’s Cumberland, Frederick, Hagerstown, and McHenry barracks will patrol Interstates 70 and 81, and Routes 40 and 65. Northern Region’s Bel Air, JFK Memorial Highway, and North East barracks will prioritize areas with high impaired-driving crash rates, while Southern Region’s Annapolis, Glen Burnie, La Plata, Leonardtown, and Prince Frederick barracks will cover Routes 295 and Interstate 695.
For those attending events, police recommend designating a sober driver, avoiding drinking if planning to drive, using public transit or ride-shares, not allowing impaired friends to drive, reporting suspected impaired drivers to 911, buckling up, and staying distraction-free. Hosts are urged to serve food and non-alcoholic drinks, arrange sober transportation, provide taxi contacts, and take keys from impaired guests, noting potential liability for crashes involving served alcohol.
Maryland’s 2023 data reported 171 impaired-driving fatalities, per the MDOT, underscoring the urgency of these efforts. With Ocean City expecting 100,000 parade attendees, per local estimates, enforcement is critical. While saturation patrols aim to deter, their effectiveness depends on public cooperation, and the focus on high-visibility may strain resources in less-patrolled areas.
