On Halloween, unfortunately, you should be scared of more than the costumes and movies. Besides watching out for tampered-with candy, and other trick-or-treating hazards, one of the most important things to watch out for is drunk drivers.
According to statistics from AAA, kids and pedestrians are more likely than normal to get hit by a car on Halloween. The NHTSA took data 2013-2017, and found that there were 158 people killed in Halloween drunk driving crashes. This year Halloween falls on a Thursday, so there is likely going to be celebrations all throughout the weekend, which will definitely increase the pedestrian accident rate. However it’s also concerning that there will be more drunk drivers on the road, spanning from Thursday to Sunday, so more of a chance for accidents. The NHTSA also says that after examining 25 years of data, Halloween ranks as the third-deadliest day of the year for pedestrians.
So What Can You Do?
A major thing for pedestrians is to not walk where you normally wouldn’t. Meaning, use crosswalks, do not run across the street. Drivers are expecting people in crosswalks, not in the middle of the road. Also, make sure you are well-lit and following traffic rules. Also if you have been drinking, try not to walk around. Just have someone take you home.
If you are driving on Halloween, be on extra guard. Definitely don’t get distracted by your phone. Looking down for one second can cause unimaginable harm.
42% of national fatal crashes during Halloween involved a driver or motorcyclist with a BAC of 0.08 or higher. This is a terrible statistic to hear, and completely avoidable. All of these fatal accidents could have been prevented. Make a plan ahead of time; leave your car where it is if you are drinking. Take an Uber or have a designated driver pick you up. There is no excuse for drinking and driving, especially on a night when so many kids and extra pedestrians are out on the road.
