The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Pennsylvania DUI Association, and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will team up this weekend to kick off the St. Patrick’s Day Impaired Driving Enforcement efforts with a special campaign running from March 5 to March 7, 2026.
An enforcement initiative, named “Operation Sober Shamrock,” was announced today during a media event at the Hermitage Police Department in Mercer County.
The coordinated enforcement activities will include roving DUI patrols. Local and state law enforcement agencies will also conduct sustained enforcement activities across Pennsylvania throughout the entire St. Patrick’s Day Impaired Driving Enforcement period (March 7 to March 17, 2026) to deter drivers from getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The Hermitage Police Department and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office will spearhead the “Operation Sober Shamrock” enforcement in the northwest region as grantees of PennDOT’s Municipal Police Traffic Services Enforcement Program.
The enforcement is part of a continued effort by PennDOT and its safety partners to reduce the number of impaired driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities statewide.
A multi-faceted approach is used to help keep Pennsylvania’s roadways safe, including educating the public on the state’s vehicle code, DUI laws, and the dangers and consequences of impaired driving.
The operation is funded in part by PennDOT’s statewide distribution of federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
For more information on impaired driving, visit www.pa.gov/DOTSafety.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.pa.gov/DOTDistrict1.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT: Saxon Daugherty, sadaughert@pa.gov or 814-678-7095
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