Halloween is an exciting night for kids in Honolulu, as they dress up in costumes and run about through the neighborhood gathering candy and treats. They may be tempted to overindulge once they get home with their candy, and their parents may have to step in and restrict their intake, to prevent upset tummies and worse.
But when it comes to overindulgence, the little kids with their tricks-and-treats are not the only ones we need to be concern about. Perhaps surprisingly, Halloween ranks as one of the most dangerous nights for highway fatalities caused by drunk driving. While everyone associates holiday like New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day with reckless driving caused by intoxicated revelers, Halloween is often as dangerous.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), during the Halloween holiday period in 2011 saw a greater than 20 percent increase in drunk driving accidents, which left 71 people dead.
Because of this, extra care should be taken when crossing streets with small children and after dark, you should wear reflective clothing and carry a flashlight.
If adults are attending a party where alcohol will be served should be certain to have a non-drinking designated driver to get them home or plan on taking a cab.
What is remarkable is how often people will engage in drinking, but yet adopt the false economy of “saving” money by not taking a cab, and risk the thousands of dollars a DUI will cost, in addition to the potential risk of death or injury to themselves or others by driving while intoxicated.
Source: MADD, “Be a Superhero this Halloween,” October 29, 2013