Drunk Drivers Can’t Hide Behind Halloween Costumes

 As party-going ghosts and goblins celebrate this October, the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) reminds everyone to keep the party off the road.

“There isn’t a Halloween costume clever enough to hide an impaired driver who has made the poor decision to get behind the wheel,” said KOHS Director of Highway Safety Bill Bell. “Whether you’ve had one too many or way too many it is just not worth the risk. Remember, Buzzed driving is drunk driving.”

Nighttime is an especially dangerous time to be on the road, but Halloween night is often one of the deadliest nights of the year for impaired drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009, 48 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night (6 p.m. Oct. 31 to 5:59 a.m. Nov. 1) involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.08 or higher, which is illegal in every state.

“Don’t make Halloween an event to forget by driving drunk,” said Bell. “It’s a fact that, too often, impaired drivers don’t plan ahead and end up making the roads scarier than their costumes.”

The KOHS recommends these simple tips for a safe Halloween:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin;
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement;
• And remember, Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.