Halloween not only sees many kids going out trick-or-treating. It also sees many adults going out to Halloween parties. It is very important for such party goers to celebrate responsibly and safely. When a person commits unsafe Halloween-party-related conduct, they could be endangering both themselves and others (including children).
One type of unsafe conduct it is incredibly important for Halloween party goers to stay away from is mixing drinking and driving. Drunk driving is dangerous at any time of the year. It can be particularly devastating on Halloween though, given the high number of children who are walking around trick-or-treating and the high number of other people who are out and about for Halloween
Unfortunately, drunk driving has been responsible for many deaths in past Halloweens. For example, in 2012, of all the traffic fatalities that occurred in the U.S. on Halloween night that year, nearly half, 48 percent, occurred in accidents involving drunk drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
These very troubling numbers indicate that drunk driving is something that has been dangerously common on Halloween.
One hopes party goers and other adults here in Michigan and in other parts of the country will do their part to buck this trend. There are many safe alternatives out there to getting behind the wheel after drinking at a Halloween party, including having a designated driver or calling a taxi. It is vitally important for overall Halloween traffic safety for party goers who have been drinking to stick to these alternatives. It is also important for people who are hosting Halloween parties to take appropriate steps to help ensure their guests do not get behind the wheel when intoxicated.
Source: UPMatters, "Be Smart, Be Safe, Be Seen on Halloween," Oct. 29, 2015