Drivers Beware: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
As party-going ghosts and goblins celebrate Halloween this October, the Avoid the 12 Stanislaus County coalitions reminds everyone to keep the party off the road.
Roving DUI Saturation Patrols and a DUI/Driver License Checkpoint are planned this weekend as part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to lower impaired driving in the region. The DUI Checkpoint will be held on Saturday October 30 in the City of Modesto. In addition, DUI Patrols will be working on both Friday October 29 and Saturday October 30, prior to the little ones heading out for Trick-or-Treating on Sunday evening. Additional DUI Patrols will be conducted county wide on Halloween October 31st.
There isn’t a Halloween costume clever enough to hide an impaired driver who has made the poor decision to get behind the wheel. Whether you’ve had one too many or way too many, it is just not worth the risk. Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.
Nighttime is an especially dangerous time to be on the road, but Halloween weekend is often one of the deadliest times of the year for impaired drivers. According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, 16 individuals died and 417 were injured on Halloween in Alcohol Involved Collision during the past 5 years.
The scariest part of Halloween isn’t the spooky costumes and scary pranks; it’s the fact that too often impaired drivers don’t plan ahead and end-up making the roads scarier than a horror show.
Turlock Police Department recommends these simple tips for a safe Halloween:
Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin;
Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to call 911;
And remember, Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.
Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.