MOUNT VERNON — As party-going ghosts and goblins celebrate Halloween this year, the Knox County Safe Communities Coalition is reminding everyone to ‘keep the party off the road.’
“Whether you’ve had one too many or way too many it is just not worth the risk,” said JoAnn Kerr, who coordinates the coalition for the Knox County Health Department. “Remember, buzzed driving is drunk driving.”
Nighttime is an especially dangerous time to be on the road and Halloween night is one of the deadliest nights of the year for impaired drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 41 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night (6 p.m. Oct. 29 to 5:59 a.m. Nov 1) in 2011 involved a driver or motorcyclist with a blood alcohol concentration of .08, which is illegal in every state.
Don’t be tricked into thinking you’ve just had a few.
“Give your community the ‘treat’ this Halloween of being a responsible driver,” said Kerr. “And don’t let friends drink and drive.” If you see a drunk driver on the road, you can call #677 on your cell phone to alert law enforcement.