It happens this Saturday, October 31st. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year and it’s a particularly deadly night due to impaired drivers.
The ODOT Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data reveals a startling fact. It turns out that 90% of the fatalities (10) on Halloween night (6:00 p.m., October 31st to 5:59 a.m., November 1st) between 1998 and 2008 in Oregon occurred in alcohol and/or drug-involved traffic crashes. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2008, 58 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night last year involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, which is illegal in every state.
Now let’s add the fact that Eugene and Corvallis will see a significant traffic increase associated with UO and OSU home football games. All of this mixes with excitable trick-or-treaters, and costumed party-goers — we have the perfect storm of people taking the party to the roadways.
Everyone plays an important role in keeping the kids and roads safe. Please be safe out there and enjoy the weekend.
sounds like a night to party at home
have a great safe halloween
Don’t ride much at night anymore – the night vision is starting to age. And never ever ride impaired – just asking for trouble. Think I’ll just dress up and hand out candy to the neighborhood kids as usual.