4 Tips to Avoid a Drunk Driving Collision on Halloween Night

Halloween may be on a Tuesday this year, but that won’t stop people from taking a break in the middle of their workweek and letting loose well into the early hours of Wednesday morning. You can also expect the weekend before Halloween to be busier than usual for partygoers.

If you are planning on taking part in the festivities, it is important to keep in mind that people tend to get more rowdy and rambunctious when they have cause to celebrate. Unfortunately, the scariest aspect of Halloween is not actually the zombie-inspired ensembles or spooky ghost tours around the city; it’s the drunk drivers.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, a motor vehicle collision involving alcohol causes injury or death to someone somewhere in the state every 20 minutes. On holidays like Halloween and New Year’s Eve, such accidents occur even more frequently.

For example, USA TODAY reports that Halloween is more than twice as dangerous for young pedestrians than the average night. When researchers examined statistics over a 21-year period, they found there was an average of 5.5 pedestrian deaths every Halloween, while 2.6 pedestrian deaths occurred on most other days.

If you or someone you love sustained serious injuries in an accident with a drunk driver, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. To discuss your case with a compassionate personal injury attorney in Tyler, turn to the Cooper Law Firm.

Attorney N. Eric Cooper is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Gregg County Bar Association, and he will help you fight for the maximum settlement. Call 903-297-0037 to schedule a free case evaluation.

Read on to learn how you can reduce the risk of getting in a drunk driving collision on Halloween night:

1. Host a Party at Home

If you have the space, consider hosting a costume party at your house so you don’t have to drive at all on Halloween night. Just make sure you can provide sleeping accommodations for guests if you plan on serving alcohol.

2. Go Trick-or-Treating as Early as Possible

If you are planning on taking the kids trick-or-treating, you do not want to be out when inebriated motorists are heading home after a night of drinking. Plan on taking your kids out as early as possible, and if you have teens who are going out alone, give them a reasonable curfew.

3. Look for the Signs of Driving While Intoxicated

If you like taking your children to other neighborhoods for trick-or-treating, make sure you drive defensively, and keep an eye out for inebriated motorists when you are en route. Signs of intoxication include swerving, tailgating, accelerating or decelerating for no obvious reason, and failing to follow the rules of the road. If you do spot a seemingly intoxicated driver, maintain a safe distance from the vehicle, or pull over and report it to the local police.

4. Designate a Sober Driver

If you are planning on going out with friends on Halloween night, make sure you all agree on a designated driver before you start drinking. You can also take advantage of a local rideshare service.

Unfortunately, some motor vehicle collisions are essentially unavoidable despite the victim’s best efforts to avoid one. If you are currently recovering from an accident and you want to file a personal injury claim against the liable party, contact the Cooper Law Firm.

Call 903-297-0037 to schedule a free consultation with an accident lawyer in Tyler. You can learn more about collision claims in Texas by visiting USAttorneys.com.