On Halloween, and Every Day, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

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This Halloween, the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) is reminding Halloween partiers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. If your Halloween party involves alcohol then you have to make a plan to get home without getting behind the wheel.

“If you want to stay safe this Halloween then make a plan to get home without driving if you’ve been drinking,” said Erica Stanzione, Director of Communications and Partnerships for ASK. “Even one drink impairs judgement, so plan to get home by taxi, ride share, mass transit, or designate a sober drive. Buzzed driving is drunk driving, so think ahead to stay safe.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night (6 p.m. October 31st – 5:59 a.m. November 1st) from 2009 to 2013 were in crashes involving a drunk driver. On Halloween Night alone 119 people lost their lives over that same period. Children out trick-or-treating and the parents accompanying them are also at risk as 19 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes on Halloween night (2009-2013) involved drunk drivers.

It is illegal everywhere in America to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In 2013, 10,076 people were killed in drunk driving crashes. Even if you drive drunk and aren’t killed or seriously injured you could end up paying as much $10,000 for a DUI.

Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving, so follow these simple tips to stay safe:

  • Plan a safe way to get home before you attend the party. Alcohol impairs judgement, as well as reaction time. If you’re drunk you’re more like to choose to drive drunk.
  • Designate a sober driver, take public transportation, a car service, or a call a sober friend of family member to get home.
  • Walking while impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the Yorktown Police Department, (914) 962-4141, 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.

For more information, please visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.