Partygoers should be careful and designate a driver if they’re going to be drinking alcohol over the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day weekend, officials say.

“Just use common sense, use designated drivers and buckle up,” said Sedalia Police Officer Mike DeHaven.

Both Sedalia police and the Pettis County Sheriff’s Department received grants for extra patrols over the holiday weekend. 

“There will be more officers on the road,” said Pettis County Sheriff Kevin Bond. 

Though St. Patrick’s Day isn’t as big here as in major cities like Kansas City and Chicago, it’s still a pretty popular holiday, DeHaven said.

DeHaven said his department’s grant, issued by the state’s Division of Highway Safety, will allow up to three additional officers working at one time, focusing on DWI enforcement. 

The Sheriff’s Department grant, also from the Division of Highway Safety, will pay for overtime, allowing deputies to be out on targeted patrols during times when there’s a higher chance of intoxicated drivers, Bond said.

This will be the second of four holiday-based enforcement efforts by the Division of Highway Safety, Bond said, with the others falling May 5 and July 3 through July 6 — Cinco de Mayo and the Fourth of July, respectively.

DeHaven said his department has participated in a similar grant program for at least the two previous years. 

State officials will be on the lookout as well, officials said. 

Highway Patrol troopers will also be on the road keeping an eye out — as they do on all weekends — for drunken drivers, said Sgt. Scott Meyer, public information officer for the High Patrol’s Troop A, in Lee’s Summit.

Some sobriety checkpoints are planned in the Kansas City metropolitan area, he said. 

Missouri traffic fatalities are down statewide compared to 2007’s already below-average totals.

As of 10 a.m. Wednesday the state has seen 149 traffic deaths, with 18 of those happening in March, according to the Highway Patrol’s Web site.

That’s lower than the 167 deaths seen at the same time in 2007, with March’s total less than half of 2007’s 39-person total. 

Troop A, which in addition to Pettis County includes Bates, Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Platte, Ray and Saline counties, had only 18 deaths reported for the year, with one of those in March.

In 2007, the troop saw 30 deaths in the same period, with seven of those occurring in March.