‘Halloween Is Meant To Be Scary, But Not When It Comes To Driving’

30.10.2023 - 15:41 / forbes.com / But Not

The only thing scarier than zombies and witches loose on the streets on Halloween is an impaired driver, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

On Halloween night from 2017 through 2021, 159 people were killed in drunk driving crashes, and in 2021, that number was 38. That same night, when many people were out trick-or-treating, 17 pedestrians were killed, as victims of a drunk driving crash or walking drunk themselves.

“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,” the federal agency said. “ 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.”

Drivers should refrain from driving after drinking or taking drugs on Halloween – this year Tuesday, October 31, 2023 – and every day and night, NHTSA advised, as part of its “Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving” and “If You Feel Different, You Drive Different”Halloween Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign.

The impact of drunk and drugged driving goes beyond the tragedy of lost lives.

The cost of impaired driving crashes “is devastating,” according to the federal agency. Based on 2019 numbers (the most recent year for which data is available), the financial impact of impaired-driving crashes to the United States was $58 billion annually. On a personal level, drivers caught drinking could face jail time, lose their driver’s license and vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, car towing, higher insurance rates, and lost wages, it noted.

The annual drunk and drug impaired driving campaign is conducted in cooperation with local officials to remind drivers to be extra cautious on Halloween, as more pedestrians are out at night trick-or-treating, and many drivers are heading to and from parties.

NHTSA has prepared a series of Halloween safety tips for drivers, pedestrians, and party hosts:

For example, if people see a drunk driver on the road, they should contact law enforcement, take away keys and help friends get home safely if they are about to drive impaired, and should not get in the car if the driver appears to be impaired.

Drivers who plan to drink or use drugs should not drive and should plan ahead by designating a sober driver to get them home safely or call a taxi or rideshare service. (Some communities have sober ride programs.) When (sober!) behind the wheel, drivers should slow speeds and be extra vigilant, as on Halloween there will likely be more pedestrians on the roads and in places where they are not expected, like coming out from between parked cars or behind shrubbery.

“If