During this “spooky season,” ghosts, ghouls, and goblins are not the scariest adversaries of motorists.
Instead, the most frightening reality is making the poor decision to drive drunk – a choice that could result in hefty fines, jail time, and/or the death of you or innocent others.
This Halloween, the Sandersville Police Department is reminding local drivers that even “Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.”
In fact, the SPD says that stone-cold sober motorists should even be extra cautious tomorrow, as more pedestrians will be out-and-about on the hunt for candy.
If an evening over your Halloween weekend includes heading out to a party, make sure to plan for a sober ride home. Conversely, if you are serving as the designated driver, honor that commitment for yourself, the passengers, and others on and around the road.
For many, Halloween is a opportunity to get creative with costumes, trick-or-treating, and other seasonal festivities. Although, unfortunately, for some families, the evening becomes a nightmare due to the drunk driving decisions of others.
“No matter what your Halloween festivities include, make sure your party plans account for a sober ride home if you are drinking,” said Sandersville Police Chief Victor Cuyler. “We want our community to have a fun Halloween, but more importantly, a safe Halloween. If you choose to drink alcohol, drink responsibly – even one drink can impair judgement. Never put yourself, or others, at risk because you made the choice to drink and drive.”
National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration data says that someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash every 79 seconds. Nearly 31 percent of all traffic crash fatalities involve a drunk driver.
It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, and the cost of doing so can be more than just financially frightful – it can be painful to your pockets.
If you are caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time, lose your driver’s license and vehicle, and be forced to pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, car towing, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.
Do you have a friend who is about to drive drunk?
Take away their keys and help them get home. Don’t worry about offending someone, as you stopping their bad choice may be saving their life, or someone else’s.
Always have a plan before heading out for the evening. Waiting until after the drinking has started to figure out how to get from one place to the next ends with dangerous results.
There are plenty of options to help impaired drivers get home, such as designating a sober driver or calling a taxi or ride-share.
If you see a drunk driver on the road this Halloween weekend (or any other day), do not hesitate to contact Sandersville Police dispatchers at 478-552-3038.