Moorestown Police to Crack Down on Drunk Drivers on Halloween

Moorestown Police will step up the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign on Halloween.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night (6 p.m. Oct. 31-5:59 a.m. Nov. 1) from 2009 to 2013 were in crashes involving a drunk driver. That’s 119 people killed in drunk driving accidents on Halloween.

Children out trick-or-treating and the parents accompanying them are also at risk, as 19 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes on Halloween night (2009-2013) involved drunk drivers, according to NHTSA.

In every state it’s illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher. Even in situations in which no one is killed or seriously injured, drunk drivers can end up paying as much $10,000 for a DUI.

Moorestown Police provided the following tips:

• Plan a safe way to get home before you attend the party. Alcohol impairs judgement, as well as reaction time. If you’re drunk you’re more like to choose to drive drunk.

• Designate a sober driver, take public transportation, a car service, or a call a sober friend of family member to get home.

• Walking while impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.

• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement as soon as it’s safe to do so.

• If you see someone you think is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them get home safely.