Facts and Statistics About Halloween and Driving Under the Influence
Over 10,000 people die each year from drunk driving accidents. Holidays and celebrations including Halloween night can be some of the most dangerous times on the roads. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2015-2019 there were 125 individuals killed in drunk driving accidents on Halloween night.
In 2019 alone, there were 21 drivers or passengers and four pedestrians killed in drunk driving accidents on Halloween night. Children are at a particularly high risk of being involved in a fatal traffic accident on Halloween since they are often out crossing streets late at night.
In 2020, the number of people killed in drunk driving accidents increased significantly. In that year there were 11,654 fatalities related to drunk driving crashes. When reviewing fatal DUI crashes, men are more likely to be driving under the influence. During that year, there were 56 people killed in drunk driving crashes on Halloween night.
Drunk Driving Laws
Most people know that it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher in all states (except Utah which recently lowered its legal drinking limit to 0.05%). But few people realize that all states have a law that makes it illegal for a person to drive while impaired by alcohol. Therefore, you do not have to be over the legal limit to be arrested and convicted of a DUI.