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Impaired Driving Can Turn Halloween into a Real Nightmare With more than half of the Nation’s traffic fatalities over Halloween weekend related to alcohol, Lane County Sheriff's Office announced today the launch of a strong push this Halloween season to remind all party-goers to never drink and drive -- and to always remember to designate a sober driver.
	Americans who drive while impaired during Halloween make it one of the year’s most dangerous and deadliest holidays due to alcohol-related crashes. Impaired driving is no accident – nor is it “a victimless crime.” In 2003, 53 percent of all highway fatalities at Halloween were alcohol-related – with 45 percent of the total fatalities involving a drunk driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.08 or higher – the legal limit in all States and in the District of Columbia. But the nightmare of drinking and driving impaired does not end at the tragic death, disfigurement, disability, and injury caused by impaired drivers. If you’re caught and arrested for driving impaired, you face serious consequences and significant costs.

Plan Ahead -- Designate a Sober Driver Before All Halloween Festivities

• Be responsible and never drive impaired.
• If you plan to drink, choose your sober driver before going out.
• Once impaired, use mass transit, call a cab, or ask a sober friend to get you home.
• If all else fails, just stay where you are and sleep it off.
• Always buckle up – it’s still your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you are hosting a Halloween party, make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver.

  Remember: Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

NHTSA estimates that highway crashes cost society $230.6 billion a year, about $820 per person.