The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Office of Highway Safety is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind motorists that “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” and to celebrate Halloween responsibly.
Governor Andy Beshear is encouraging Kentuckians to celebrate Halloween safely by following healthy guidelines as the state makes strides to experience a sense of normalcy in light of the pandemic. He also encourages Kentuckians to make plans for a sober ride home if they plan to drink. He adds a few preventive measures can mean the difference between life and death.
From 2015 to 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 41 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night were in crashes involving a drunken driver. Adults between the ages of 21 and 34 had the highest percentage (62 percent) of deaths in drunken-driving crashes on Halloween night in 2019.
State transportation Secretary Jim Gray says that if you are under the influence of any substance and choose to get behind the wheel you are putting everyone on the road in danger, including yourself. He notes that drivers must understand that either drugs or alcohol not only hinder your ability to drive but also affect your judgment about whether you can or should drive.
According to the Kentucky State Police Collision Traffic Facts 2020 Report, there were more than 4,900 total crashes involving impaired drivers in Kentucky last year, resulting in more than 2,600 injuries and 181 deaths.
Gray says drunken driving is 100 percent preventable. He says we can prevent crashes, injuries, and death on the roadways across the commonwealth by committing to safe driving habits like buckling up, putting the phone down and driving sober.
