Halloween Should Be Fun, But It Can Also Be Deadly

Halloween night is meant to be fun and maybe even a little bit scary, but not dangerous.

Trick-or-treating, parties and other festivities can be especially deadly when it comes to driving. On Halloween night between 2016 and 2020, there were 129 drunk-driving fatalities on the nation’s roads, and in 2020, 56 people were killed in drunk-driving traffic crashes.

In a recent year, 49% of drivers who were killed in crashes and were tested for drugs, tested positive, according to federal data.

To help combat the problem and raise awareness, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a Halloween Impaired Driving Prevention initiative in cooperation with local partners to remind drivers about the deadly consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

“The only thing scarier than zombies and witches loose on the streets is an impaired driver,” the federal agency’s marketing materials stated. Even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many for some drivers, and “if you are under the influence of any drug, whether legally or illegally obtained, and you choose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you put everyone in danger, including yourself.”

Young adults and pedestrians are particularly vulnerable on Halloween night, the safety agency noted, so drivers need to extra cautious.

Adults between the ages of 21 and 34 had the highest percentage (68%) of fatalities in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night in 2020, and 11 pedestrians were killed in drunk-driving crashes that year.

Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, the agency said, as lack of attention to one’s surroundings increases the risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

NHTSA offered some tips for a safe Halloween night:

“If you plan to drive, plan to refrain from alcohol or drugs. If you do plan to enjoy some witch’s brew, be sure to arrange a sober ride home in advance.”

• 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 you have used an impairing substance like marijuana, do not drive. (Some people mistakenly believe that marijuana won’t affect their ability to drive safely, but it has been proven that THC can slow reaction times, impair cognitive performance, and make it more difficult for drivers to keep a steady position in their lane.);
• If you’re planning to use drugs, plan ahead for a sober driver to safely drive you to your destination. Like drunk driving, it is essential that drug-impaired drivers refrain from driving a vehicle. It is never okay to drive while impaired by any substance;
• If available, use your community’s sober ride program;
• Passengers should never ride with an impaired driver. If you think a driver may be impaired, do not get in the car;
• See a friend who is about to drive while impaired? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely; and
• If you see a drunk or impaired driver on the road, contact local authorities.

Driving under the influence is not only dangerous, it’s illegal and can be costly. An offender could: face jail time; lose his or her driver’s license and vehicle; give up income due to not working; and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, car towing, and higher insurance rates, the agency warned.

For more information about drunk and drug-impaired driving, click here and here.