Are More People Driving Drunk on Halloween in 2017?

Halloween, our scariest holiday in the U.S., is right around the corner. Although most people don’t usually associate Halloween as the kind of holiday with a lot of drinking, like Labor Day or the 4^th of July, there are still parties where there’s plenty of alcohol on the spookiest night of the year.

Halloween Drunk Driving Deaths on the Rise

In fact, drunk driving fatalities on Halloween night are sadly increasing. In 2015, there were 55 deaths. That’s nearly 20 more people compared to 2011’s statistics.

In addition, on Halloween night between the years 2011 to 2015, 45 percent of motor vehicle-related deaths involved drunk driving.

People aged 21 to 34-years-old accounted for the most fatalities at 64 percent in drunk-driving related crashes on Halloween Night in 2015. This is the same age group contributing to the most drunk driving fatalities overall in the U.S. 

Think Ahead, Don’t Drink and Drive

Don’t mix the boos with too much booze. Stay proactive with your party plans. Have a ride-sharing app on your phone, or if you’re the host, plan to have friends spend the night if they are drinking too much. If you see what appears to be a drunk driver on the road, call 911.

Some people assume that they’ve only ‘had a few drinks’ after a party, and are OK to drive. Alcohol dissipates in our bodies slower than most realize. And although you may feel OK, your breath alcohol content could still be at .08, the legal drinking limit. DUIs are costly with attorney fees, fines, higher insurance rates, and more. Even worse, you are putting yourself and others’ lives at risk when you make the decision to drink and drive.

Choosing the Ignition Interlock Device

One way to know if you’re truly OK to drive or not is with an Ignition Interlock Device. Handheld and discreet, a Smart Start Ignition Interlock is a breathalyzer that is installed in your vehicle. If one blows into the device and has too much alcohol in their system, the vehicle will not start.

Ignition Interlocks are only less than $3.50 a day, which is cheaper than a pack of cigarettes or a tall Starbucks coffee. Ignition Interlocks are a physical tool that can help keep you and others safe on the road, and that is priceless.

Need an Ignition Interlock? Call our team at (800) 831-3299 or fill out our online form today.