DUI Task Force
updated: Oct 24, 2012, 1:15 PM

Source: Avoid the 12

If you think a Halloween costume will disguise your drunk or drug impaired driving, the ‘AVOID the 12' - Santa Barbara County's DUI Task Force has a message just for you - "keep the party off the road."

‘AVOID the 12' will be deploying additional officers on DUI Saturation Patrols supplementing routine patrols in several communities in the county. Members from the Lompoc and Santa Barbara Police Departments will deploy DUI saturation patrols within the City of Goleta on Friday October 26 and Saturday October 27 in response to the Halloween festivities in Isla Vista. The California Highway Patrol will increase their staffing for this weekend as well as on the night of Halloween.

"Local revelers should be aware that their Halloween disguises won't make them invisible to the Police, Sheriff or CHP officers who will crack down on impaired drivers throughout the region with an aggressive Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort," said Senior Deputy Jeff Farmer of the Sheriff's Office.

In fact, Senior Deputy Farmer noted, its law enforcement officers who are more likely to be ‘invisible' to partygoers who have had too many drinks. "If you really want to be scared this Halloween, try getting pulled over by a police car that suddenly appears out of nowhere," Farmer said. "Of course, one thing is for sure, the police arresting drunk or drug impaired drivers this Halloween will be visible enough, and they won't be mistaken for treats by folks who may think they are fine to drink and drive," he added.

Nighttime is always a dangerous time on the road, but Halloween weekend can be particularly scary if you get behind the wheel drunk or find yourself around a drunk driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 41 percent of all highway fatalities throughout the nation during the Halloween period in 2010 (6 p.m. Oct. 29 to 6 a.m. Nov. 1) involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

"The scariest parts of Halloween aren't the spooky costumes and scary pranks," said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "It's a fact that too often drivers don't plan ahead and end up turning reality into something much worse than the worst horror movie."

To keep safe this Halloween, The ‘AVOID the 12' Coalition recommends these simple tips:

Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin. If you are taking medication or using drugs; beware! They can impair your driving, and especially never mix with alcohol. Before drinking, designate a sober driver, and leave your car keys at home. If you're impaired, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.

If you see a drunk driver on the road, Call 911!

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

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