(Photo Source: Unsplash).
Local law enforcement agencies are teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to participate in the statewide STOP-DWI impaired driving crackdown during the upcoming Halloween weekend (Oct. 29-31).
Local law enforcement and NHTSA want to remind everyone that “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.”
Below is a press release provided by the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office:
Drivers should be extra cautious on Halloween, as more pedestrians are out at night on the hunt for candy. If your night involves drinking some of the witch’s brew at a Halloween party, make sure you plan for a sober ride home. Remember: It’s never safe to drink and drive.
Because of the parties, trick-or-treating, and other festivities, Halloween night can be especially dangerous on our nation’s roads. Between 2016 and 2020, there were 129 drunk-driving fatalities on Halloween night (6 p.m. Oct. 31 to 5:59 a.m. Nov. 1). Adults between the ages of 21 and 34 had the highest percentage (68%) of fatalities in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night in 2020. During that same night, 11 pedestrians were killed in drunk-driving crashes.
Tragically, about one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with blood alcohol concentrations at or above .08 grams per deciliter). In 2020, there were 11,654 people killed in drunk-driving crashes. Do not contribute to these senseless deaths by driving drunk this Halloween. Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians — whether they be children trick-or-treating or adults who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.
Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 g/dL. And the costs can be financial, too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time, lose your driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, car towing, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.
CELEBRATE WITH A PLAN
If you plan to head out for a night of Halloween partying, follow these simple tips for a safe and happy evening:
Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver, call a taxi or a rideshare service to get home safely.
If available, use your community’s sober ride program. If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement agency. See a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
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