Defensive Driving Halloween

Halloween is meant to be scary, but not when it comes to driving. When it comes to drunk driving, Halloween can turn the roads into a horror fest.
There’s nothing scarier on Halloween than a drunk driver.

  • On Halloween Night between 2009 and 2013, 119 people were killed by drunk driving.[1]
  • Over the Halloween Nights from 2009-2013, 43 percent of all motor vehicle deaths involved drunk driving.

It is illegal everywhere in America to drive drunk—with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher.

Remember, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Stay safe and protect your neighbors by making a plan to get home without getting behind the wheel on Halloween Night if you’ve been drinking.

 

Plan Before You Party to Get Home Safely

You can stay safe and protect your neighbors by following these tips:

  • Plan a safe way to get home before you party because alcohol impairs judgement. You’re not going to make smart and safe choices if you’ve been drinking.
  • Designate a sober driver, take public transportation or a car service, or a call a sober friend of family member to get home.
  • Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. There’s no such thing as “I only had a couple.” If you’ve been drinking you shouldn’t be driving.
  • Use your community’s sober ride program, [insert your local sober ride specifics here].
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement when it is safe to do so.
    • If you see someone you think is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them get home safely.

    One Way or Another, You’ll Pay for Drunk and Buzzed Driving

    • If you’re caught drinking and driving you could face jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, and pay around $10,000 due to higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work.


     

    Know the Facts About DUI and Staying Safe

    • Some people mistakenly think they can avoid a DUI by refusing to take a breath test. Wrong. In many jurisdictions a refusal to take a breath test results in the loss of your driver’s license on the spot and the impoundment of your vehicle.
    • Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home. In 2013, 26 percent of all pedestrian fatalities on Halloween night involved a drunk driver.

[1] Halloween Night is defined as 6 p.m. October 31 to 5:59 a.m. on November 1