Full Notification

Rohnert Park, Calif. – This October 31, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety is reminding those who are celebrating this spooky season to have a designated sober driver or plan for a sober ride home.

“Halloween should be full of treats, not tragedies,” Sgt. Keaney said. “If you plan to drink, make arrangements to use a designated sober driver, public transit or call a taxi or rideshare for a sober ride home. Halloween is spooky enough. Don’t add a real scare to the night.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2024, one person was killed every 44 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation's roads. In that same year, 1,311 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities occurred on California roads. Because of the seasonal festivities and late-night travels, those risks are heightened on Halloween night.

Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety offers the following tips to be as safe as possible and share the road safely:

Drivers
• Follow the posted speed limit. Slow down and watch out for more foot traffic in residential neighborhoods.
• Take extra time looking for trick-or-treaters at intersections and when entering and exiting driveways.
• Never drive distracted or impaired.
• If you intend to drink, have a plan. Use a designated sober driver, public transit, call a taxi or rideshare service or stay the night.

Parents/Caregivers and Trick-or-Treaters
• Make sure costumes fit to prevent trips and falls.
• Be visible. Decorate costumes and bags, buckets or baskets with reflective tape and use flashlights or glow sticks to make it easier for drivers to see you.
• Walk on sidewalks, when available. Avoid darting into the street or crossing between parked cars.
• Stick to familiar, well-lit routes.
• Look both ways before crossing the street.

Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety will have additional officers on patrol this week looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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