Last Updated on October 31, 2014 9:55 am
Halloween festivities usually involve spooky tricks and sweet treats, but the scariest situations of all can often be found on North Carolina’s highways. Drunk drivers make a terrifying decision when they get behind the wheel and risk creating real-life nightmares for themselves and others. The N.C. Department of Transportation and the Governor’s Highway Safety Program remind drivers this Halloween that if you drink and drive, you could pay deadly consequences.
“Nothing is scarier on Halloween than a drunk driver,” said GHSP Director Don Nail. “Those who decide to drive after drinking should know that they can’t hide behind a mask. Law enforcement officers are stepping up their patrols across the state and will catch anyone who doesn’t drive sober.”
NCDOT and GHSP recommend following these simple tips for a safe Halloween:
• Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
• Always designate a sober driver; even one drink is too many to get behind the wheel.
• If you are drunk, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
• Walking 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.
• If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.
So far this year, there have been approximately 230 alcohol-related crashes, resulting in 242 fatalities in North Carolina. Law enforcement officers across the state are working day and night to ensure that number does not rise during Halloween and throughout remainder of the year.
The Halloween “Booze It & Lose It” campaign runs from today, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 2.
