With Halloween falling on a Thursday this year, costume parties celebrating the day will be in full swing this weekend.
And while in years past Halloween parties may have been aimed mostly at children, with activities such as bobbing for apples or pumpkin carving, more recently, the holiday has taken on an increasingly adult air. As such, the risk of dangerous behaviors, such as driving while intoxicated, has increased.
The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission advises celebrants that police will be on the lookout for impaired drivers during Halloween, with the aim of protecting the thousands of children who will be trick-or-treating along streets, as well as motorists. Last year in Louisiana, crashes on Oct. 30-31 resulted in 266 injuries and one fatality.
The Commission urges partygoers to follow basic safety procedures such as:
• Planning ahead and designating a sober driver before going out to a party;
• Calling a taxi or getting a ride home with a sober friend or family member, if you have been drinking;
• Driving slowly and watching for children crossing streets; and
• Being especially alert for children darting out from between parked vehicles
and from behind bushes and shrubs.