Halloween may be the scariest time of the year, but you can forget about ghosts, hobgoblins, and witches for real frights – because nothing is scarier than these Michigan DUI facts! People may think that New Years Eve and St. Patrick’s Day are the only times the drunk driving stats get really terrifying, but that’s a myth (just like the headless horseman!) In Livingston County, Eaton County or Clinton County, Halloween is equally frightening when it comes to the number of people injured and even killed in fright-night crashes!

Frightening Facts About Drunk Driving Here in Michigan on Halloween:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Halloween is one of the deadliest nights on the road, with 44% of fatal crashes involving a drunk driver.
• The highest number of alcohol-involved crashes happen between the hours of 6pm and 6am the next morning.
• The demographic most likely to be involved in a Halloween drunk driving incident is young men, aged 21 to 34.
• A total of 23% of pedestrian deaths on Halloween night are the result of someone getting behind the wheel after one (or several) too many drinks!

What you can do to yourself and your loved ones safe this Halloween:

If you’re trick-or-treating…

• Pay attention! While you’re out trick-or-treating with your kids, keep your eyes on the roads, and pay attention to drivers, especially when they’re weaving or driving too fast,
• Be sure that you and your kids have something reflective or light-up on your clothing, and carry a flashlight, as it will make you easier to see in the dark,
• Avoid trick-or-treating in poorly lit neighborhoods and along busy main roads – both can increase your chance of being hit by an inattentive or intoxicated driver
• Stick together (in bigger groups if possible) and don’t walk in the road. Use the sidewalks whenever possible.

If you’re attending a Halloween party…

• If you know you’ll be drinking, call an Uber or plan ahead with a designated driver so you know you’ll get home safely and not endanger any little ghosts or mermaids along the way;
• If you’re transporting children to and from a party, don’t drink at all! It may seem like fun in the moment but it’s never worth the loss of life in the long run! Not even one drink is OK. 
• If someone is trying to leave the party as a driver, and you can tell they’ve had too much to drink, step in and save a life. Call them a cab, take their keys away, and help them make smart choices to get home safely. If absolutely necessary, call the police. 
• Don’t think you’ll be safer replacing the drinks with a little weed instead. It may be legal now in Michigan, but drugged driving is still against the law and you can get into a lot of trouble if you get pulled over high!

Halloween should only be a fake gore-fest, never ever a real one!

Halloween is supposed to be both fun and scary – but the horror isn’t supposed to be real! So please be careful when you’re out and about on Michigan on Halloween or the weekend that follows it. Keep yourself and kids safe, stay vigilant, and don’t drink and drive! However, if you screw up, or overestimate your abilities, the experienced drunk and drugged driving defense attorneys at The Kronzek Firm have spent decades helping the people of Michigan’s lower peninsula fight DUI charges. If you’ve been arrested for drunk or drugged driving, call us immediately at 866 766 5245 (866 7NoJail). We’re here to fight for you!