Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31, with adults heading to parties while children trick-or-treat after dark. Officers across West Virginia will be watching for impaired drivers, according to a release from the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program.
“Halloween should be about costumes and candy, not tragedy. If you are going to drink, decide before you go out how you will get home. Hand your keys to a sober friend, call a taxi or rideshare, or stay where you are. Impaired driving is 100 percent preventable, and our officers will be out making sure everyone gets home safely,” Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Jack McNeely said in the release.
The release cites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures showing 176 deaths nationwide in Halloween-night crashes involving drivers with blood alcohol concentrations of .08 or higher from 2019 to 2024. That total includes 31 pedestrians and covers 6 p.m. October 31 through 5:59 a.m. November 1.
West Virginia prohibits driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher or while impaired by alcohol, drugs or both, the release says. It lists possible first-offense DUI penalties of up to six months in jail, a $100 to $500 fine and six months of license revocation.
For drivers at .15 or higher, the release lists at least two days in jail, fines up to $1,000 and a one-year license revocation. Drivers younger than 21 can face charges at .02.
Impaired driving with a passenger younger than 16 carries two days to 12 months in jail, including at least 48 hours behind bars, a fine up to $1,000 and a one-year license revocation, according to the release. Causing a death in a DUI crash is a felony carrying years in prison.
The program advises drivers to slow down around trick-or-treaters, and pedestrians to carry a flashlight or wear reflective tape. Anyone who suspects an impaired driver should stop somewhere safe before calling 911.
More information is available at highwaysafety.wv.gov or 304-926-2509.
Community Bulletin
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