Despite all of the monsters and creatures roaming the city’s neighborhoods while Trick-or-Treating, they’re far from the scariest people on the roads during Halloween.  Drunk drivers put themselves and others at risk of injury, death, and arrest after getting behind the wheel after drinking too much.  Halloween events and parties throughout the area only add to the problem of drunk driving.  In 2013, there were 34 DUI arrests made in Kent County between October 25th and November 3rd.  The Dover Police Department will be deploying extra officers on Halloween night and throughout the weekend, as well as asking patrol officers to enhance DUI enforcement efforts during this time in order to help keep our roadways safe.  The following statistics and tips were provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety    Administration (NHTSA):

• In 2012, almost half (48%) of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities on Halloween night (6 p.m. October 31 to 5:59 a.m. November 1) involved a drunk driver. In 2012 alone, 26 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night.
• These numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveal that drunk driving is more prevalent on Halloween compared with the rest of the year.
• Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, and drunk driving is illegal. The legal and financial costs of driving while impaired can be significant. Drunk drivers often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work.
• What’s worse is that the consequences of drinking and driving could be taking someone else’s life or your own. Every year in America, thousands of people are killed by the selfish, preventable decision to drive drunk. In 2012, there were 10,322 people killed in drunk-driving crashes—a third of all crash fatalities.
• The minimum legal drinking age is 21 years. Young people (ages 21-34) make up the largest group of drunk drivers in fatal crashes. Even more shocking: in 2012, almost a fifth (18%) of the drivers under age 21 in fatal crashes were drunk, which is illegal in every State.
• Imagine the devastating consequences of drunk driving and the possibility of taking someone’s life. It doesn’t have to be a reality. Designate a sober driver. Before the Halloween parties begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
• Always designate a sober driver, even if you only plan to “have a few.” Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.
• If you are drunk, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, do not hesitate to contact local law enforcement. It is your business—you could save a life.
• If you’re at a Halloween party and see someone who is about to drive or ride drunk, take their keys and help them find a safe ride to where they are going. If the person says they’re not drunk, just remind them that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.