Halloween Reminder: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

There’s a lot to look forward to on Halloween. You’ll see ghosts and goblins, and trick or treaters who line the streets with their watchful parents close behind. You’ll see kids on a sugar-high that can last for days after the last piece of candy is given out. What you don’t hope to see on Halloween or any other time of the year are drunk drivers, and even one drink can mean the difference between you or someone else having a safe and happy Halloween or ending up in jail.

That’s why police all over the United States are sending out a reminder: buzzed driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. What is buzzed driving? It’s defined as driving a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 to .07. Yes, you’re under the legal limit of .08 with that BAC, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe to drive.

If the United States were to follow Canada’s example, driving in the warn range or buzzed driving would be illegal and punishable with driving under the influence (DUI) penalties in same way a standard over .08 DUI is. In many Canadian provinces, a warn range violation occurs when you have a .05 to .0799 BAC. If you’re caught in the warn range, you could receive an immediate roadside drivers license suspension and have your vehicle impounded for 3 days.

Even one glass of alcohol can mean your motor skills, vision, and hand/eye coordination are affected, so if you’re planning on going out for a fun Halloween night, remember this: the scariest thing that can happen on Halloween is a drunk driving crash, and you don’t want to be the person responsible to injuring or killing another person who just wanted to enjoy a fun evening out. Don’t drink and drive, even if you’ve only had one drink.