Even though St. Patrick's Day isn't until Wednesday, Missouri’s annual crackdown on drunk drivers is under way, and being a drunken leprechaun will not be tolerated. The statewide effort started Friday and runs through Sunday. It’s one of five geared around holidays associated with heavy drinking. Sergeant Al Nothum of the Missouri Highway Patrol says "We're going to be all over the place,"

For the last two years, Jefferson County has topped the state in alcohol-related crashes, including those that end in death or with a serious injury, said Lt. Col. Steve Meinberg of the sheriff's office. The County Sheriff's Office has a unit devoted only to getting those motorists off the road. The unit runs seven days a week, does not respond to other calls for police service, and they focus only on getting drunk or drug-impaired drivers off the road. They have made 125 arrests since forming in October. The Jefferson County unit consists of three deputies and four vehicles. It combats the county's serious problem with drivers who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol. 32 people died last year in traffic accidents in Jefferson County, 14 of which were alcohol-related. They get their funds from a $399,223 grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation Highway Safety Division.

Authorities urge you not to drive when you’ve had too much to drink. Last year's increased patrols on the weekend before St. Patrick's Day in Missouri resulted in 467 drunken-driving tickets being issued, as well as 1,752 speeding tickets, 518 for not wearing a seat belt and 30 got a ticket because their kids were not properly restrained.