DPS NEWS

Increased DUI Enforcement for Halloween

Each year, millions of children and adults alike celebrate Halloween, a holiday known for its sweet treats and spooky parties.

Leave the dangerous driving for the witches on brooms, and commit to sober driving Halloween night, and every night.

To help make sure everyone gets home safely, law enforcement officers throughout the state will be working more than 230 extra shifts to deter, detect and remove impaired drivers from Utah’s roads.

Increased DUI enforcement includes a concentrated DUI blitz to be held by UHP on Halloween.

Ghouls and goblins aren’t the only scary sights lurking on Halloween.

Drunk drivers put themselves and others at risk, and their actions can be deadly for you or a loved one. Halloween should be a night of good memories, not nightmares.

Even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many for some drivers, so if you plan to drive, plan to refrain from alcohol. If you plan to drink, be sure to arrange a sober ride home in advance. Stay safe on Halloween night, and every night.

Plan Before You Party

Don’t let plans get away from you—it’s imperative to your safety and the safety of others to plan a responsible ride home from the party.

If you leave your house unprepared to get home safely, you may not make the best choices by the end of the night.

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a safe night out.

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride sharing service to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

One Way or Another, You’ll Pay for Drunk Driving

• On average, a DUI can set you back $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing and repairs, and more.
• The financial impact from impaired driving crashes can be devastating: based on 2010 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually.

Drug-Impaired Driving

Drunk driving isn’t the only risk on the road: Drug-impaired driving is also an increasing problem on our nation’s roads, for men and for women.

If drivers are impaired by any substance — alcohol or drugs — they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

It is illegal in all states to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. Across the country, some states are starting to loosen restrictions on marijuana, specifically.

Remember: Driving while impaired is illegal, period. The bottom line is this: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. It’s that simple.

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HALLOWEEN INCREASED DUI ENFORCEMENT BY THE NUMBERS