Submitted by the Varnell Police Department

With more than half of the nation’s traffic fatalities over Halloween weekend related to alcohol, Chief Lyle Grant of the Varnell Police Department announced the launch of a strong push this Halloween season to remind all party goers to always remember to designate a sober driver.

“Halloween is most often thought of as a time for family fun, full of costumes, trick-or-treating with the kids and the annual haunted houses,” Grant said. “But unfortunately, Halloween has also become very dangerous and a deadly time of the year due to a jump in drunk driving.”

That’s why the Varnell Police Department is joining with other national, state and local highway safety officials this season to aggressively promote the designated driver message before Halloween parties begin.

“Our message is simple this Halloween -- 'You drink and drive, you lose,” Grant said. “We want anyone planning on using alcohol this Halloween to play it smart and designate a sober driver before the parties begin. We will be out in full force to catch, stop and arrest impaired drivers.”

Grant offered these simple reminders for a safer Halloween weekend:

• Be responsible and never drive impaired.

• If you plan to drink, choose your sober driver before going out.

• Once impaired, call a cab or ask a sober friend to get you home.

• If all else fails, just stay where you are and sleep it off.

• Always buckle up -- it’s still your best defense against an impaired driver.

• If you are hosting a Halloween party, make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver.

Impaired driving is no accident nor is it a victimless crime, Grant said. Statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that nearly 13,000 people die in highway crashes involving a driver or a motorcycle operator with an illegal blood alcohol concentration level of .08 or higher.

“Driving a vehicle or motorcycle while impaired is simply a dumb thing to do,” Grant said. “Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial cost of a crash or an arrest for drunk driving are significant.”