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PRESS RELEASE – Oct 31, 2024 - A Haunting Halloween Reminder: Drivers Be Alert for Little Ghosts and Goblins on the Go

For Immediate Release October 31, 2024

Contact: Will Moore, Policy Counsel – 858-210-7999 | [email protected]

A Haunting Halloween Reminder: Drivers Be Alert for Little Ghosts and Goblins on the Go

San Diego, Calif. – Halloween is the ultimate pedestrian holiday (during National Pedestrian Safety Month, no less) with little kids and their adults trick-or-treating in fun costumes. But the deadliest monster in your neighborhood doesn’t need a costume: it’s your car!

Circulate San Diego is issuing a fang-tastic reminder encouraging drivers to be extra careful as more children are out walking the neighborhood haunting for treats.

“Driving under the influence turns an eerie night into a real-life nightmare,” Circulate San Diego Planning Director Carlisle Dockery said. “If your night involves boos at a Halloween party, make sure you plan for a sober ride home. Even one drink can impair judgment.”

Halloween night can be especially dangerous on our nation’s roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), adults between the ages of 21 and 34 had the highest percentage (54%) of fatalities in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night between 2018 and 2022.

Whether you are celebrating the spirit of Halloween or Día de los Muertos, Circulate San Diego offers the following tips for families to be as safe as possible and share the road safely:

    • Remember that cars don’t need costumes because they are already the deadliest monsters in our community.
    • Don’t drive at all if you don’t have to - take the trolley or bus, or bike, or catch a cab!
    • Slow down and watch out for more foot traffic in residential neighborhoods.
    • Take extra time looking for trick-or-treaters at intersections and entering/exiting driveways.
    • Never drive distracted or impaired.
    • If you are heading to a local bar, restaurant or house party and plan to drink, bring the designated sober driver with you, use public transit or a ride-hailing service, or stay the night.
    • Stick to familiar, well-lit routes.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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A downloadable version of this Press Release is available here