FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2023
Contact: Will Moore, Policy Counsel - 858-210-7999 | [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE – This Halloween, Don’t Kill Any Kids With Your Car!
San Diego, CA – Halloween is the ultimate pedestrian holiday with little kids and their parents out trick or treating dressed 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 can turn a spooktacular 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.” And even sober drivers can kill people on a night like Halloween, so be extra careful.
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 (55%) of fatalities in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night in 2021.
Whether you are celebrating the spirit of Halloween or Día de los Muertos, Circulate San Diego offers the following tips for drivers to avoid being the monsters this Halloween:
Drivers:
- Remember that cars don’t need costumes because they’re 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.
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Circulate San Diego’s mission is to create excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy neighborhoods.
A downloadable version of this Press Release is available here.