Halloween – Do Not Drink and Drive

Frightening costumes and terrifying haunted houses are not the only things that are scary when it comes to Halloween; drunk driving can also lead to a horrific evening. Nationally, Halloween is a deadly night due to the high number of drunk drivers. This is especially concerning when children prepare for a fun night of walking across streets trick-or-treating in usually dark clothing with masks that obstruct their vision. Add drunk driving to the already established statistic that twice as many kids are killed while walking on Halloween than any other day of the year, and that creates a horrifying night.

Frightening Halloween Statistics

While Halloween may be intended for kids to delight in their sugary treats, adults also take part in the Halloween fun in the form of alcohol. On Halloween night in 2016, 47 people died and nearly a third were due to drunk drivers – three times the fatalities of an average day. According to the United States Department of Transportation, these scary statistics occurred nationally on Halloween:

• From 2013-2017 (between 6 p.m. October 31, to 5:59 a.m. November 1), there were 158 people killed in drunk-driving crashes;
• 42% of those accidents involved at least one drunk driver.

Be Safe This Halloween

Georgia State Patrol and local police routinely set up sobriety checkpoints during times of the year when an increase in drunk driving is expected – Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, etc. A DUI will impact your life, even if you do not injure a child or pedestrian.

This Halloween do not drink and drive; plan a safe way home before you begin drinking. In Georgia, a driver can still be charged with DUI even if he is not above the legal limit of .08. If you have children that will be trick-or-treating, add reflective tape or bright colors to their costume as a safety feature.