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On Halloween, and Every Day, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving
The Licking County Safe Communities Coalition
Reminds Halloween Partiers Against Drinking and Driving
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10/28/2015 Licking County, Ohio -- This Halloween, the Licking County Health Department’s Safe Communities Coalition is reminding Halloween partiers that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. If your Halloween party involves alcohol then you have to make a plan to get home without getting behind the wheel.
“If you want to stay safe this Halloween then make a plan to get home without driving if you’ve been drinking,” said Lt. Kevin Miller, Ohio State Highway Patrol Granville Post Commander. “Even one drink impairs judgement so plan to get home by taxi, ride share, mass transit or designate a sober driver. Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, so think ahead to stay safe.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night (6 p.m. Oct. 31 – 5:59 a.m. Nov. 1) from 2009 to 2013 were in crashes involving a drunk driver. On Halloween night alone, 119 people lost their lives over that same period. Children out trick-or-treating and the parents accompanying them are also at risk as 19 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes on Halloween night (2009 – 2013) involved drunk drivers.
In 2013, 10,076 people were killed in drunk driving crashes. Even if you drive drunk and aren’t killed or seriously injured you could end up paying as much $10,000 for a DUI. It is illegal everywhere in America to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, but the effects of alcohol can begin after just one drink.
People tend to think one drink or a little buzz doesn’t affect their ability to drive. The organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) provides a chart showing the impairing effects alcohol has beginning at a BAC of .02. Even a little buzz could lead to impairments that can have deadly effects when someone choses to get behind the wheel of the car. Don’t become a monster on Halloween by choosing to drink and drive. If you plan to drink, plan not to drive.
Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, so follow these simple tips to stay safe:
- Plan a safe way to get home before you attend the party. Alcohol impairs judgement, as well as reaction time. If you’re drunk you’re more likely to choose to drive drunk.
- Designate a sober driver, take public transportation, a car service, or call a sober friend or family member to get home.
- Walking while impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement #677 when it is safe to do so.
- If you see someone you think is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them get home safely.
The Safe Communities Coalition and Matesich Distributing partnered to host a “Designated Driver Appreciation” event Oct. 28 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at Duggies, 14952 E. Broad Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. This event was to say thank you to those who have chosen to be a designated driver and have shown responsibility to ensure others get home safe.
For more information, please visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.
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“The Licking County Health Department serves more than 160,000 citizens in the Licking County General Health District by preventing disease, protecting the environment and promoting healthy lifestyles with a vision of healthy people living in healthy communities.”
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