Full Notification

DON’T LET DRUNK DRIVING SEND YOU TO AN EARLY GRAVE

Stats That Tell a Scary Tale
Ghouls and goblins aren’t the only scary sights lurking on Halloween. Drunk drivers put themselves and others at risk, and their actions can be deadly for you or a loved one. Halloween should be a night of good memories, not nightmares. This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with local officials to help spread the message that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many for some drivers, so if you plan to drive, plan to refrain from alcohol. If you plan to drink, be sure to arrange a sober ride home in advance. Stay safe on Halloween night, and every night. Read these scary stats and commit to sober driving.
• During the Halloween holiday period (6 p.m. October 31 to 5:59 a.m. November 1) during the years 2012-2016, 168 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes.
• During the same Halloween holiday period, 44 percent of those killed were in traffic crashes that involved at least one drunk driver.
• In 2016, there were 13 vehicle occupants killed in drunk-driving-related crashes. However, there were zero pedestrians killed, which meant trick-or-treaters and other merry-makers were safer on the streets.
• The 21-to-34-year old age group accounted for the most fatalities (46%) in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night in 2016.

Plan Before You Party
Don’t let plans get away from you—it’s imperative to your safety and the safety of others to plan a responsible ride home from the party. If you leave your house unprepared to get home safely, you may not make the best choices by the end of the night. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a safe night out.

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride sharing service to get home safely.
• Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhtsa.SaferRide&hl=en), and Apple’s iTunes Store for iOS devices: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saferride/id950774008?mt=8). SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 911.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

One Way or Another, You’ll Pay for Drunk Driving
• On average, a DUI can set you back $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing and repairs, and more.
• The financial impact from impaired driving crashes can be devastating: based on 2010 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually.

Always remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.