SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — St. Patrick’s Day is one of many drinking holidays and local police are preparing to keep the roads safe.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, roughly 50 people were either injured or killed in car crashes during the week of St. Patrick’s Day in 2022.

This year, the holiday lands on a Friday, so local police expect Saint Patrick’s Day to be busier than 2022.

“We’re gonna have additional squad cars out visible and they’re targeting drunk drivers,” said Sergeant Thomas Gill with the Sioux City Police Department (SCPD).

Sgt. Gill is reminding Siouxlanders if they plan to go out for drinks, set up a designated driver for the night.