This Hobo Week and Halloween, the SDSU Police Department, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety-Office of Highway Safety, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), want to remind everyone that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Drivers should be extra cautious during this time, as more pedestrians are out at night. If your evening includes heading out to a party or festivity, make sure you plan for a sober ride home. If you’re the designated driver, honor that commitment for yourself, your passengers, and the other drivers and pedestrians on the road. Remember: It’s never safe to drink and drive.

Because of the parties, trick-or-treating, and other festivities, Hobo Day and Halloween night can be dangerous on our roads. During Hobo Week from October 27 to 30, 2022 there were 27 individuals charged with DUI booked in at the Brookings County Detention Center. The SDSU Police Department made 7 impaired driving arrests and issued over 40 citations for underage alcohol violations during the week.  On Halloween in South Dakota, between 2018 to 2022, there were 17 drunk or drugged-driving crashes with 1 fatality crash, and 6 injuries crashes with 7 people being injured in those injury crashes.

No matter what your Hobo Days & Halloween festivities include, make sure your party plans account for a sober ride home if you’ll be out drinking.  We want our community to have a fun Hobo Days, & Halloween but, more importantly, a safe one. If you choose to drink alcohol, drink responsibly — even one drink can impair judgement. You should never put yourself, or others, at risk because you made the choice to drink and drive. Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

NHTSA data shows that 13,384 motor vehicle crash-related deaths involved alcohol-impaired drivers in 2021. This represented 31% of all traffic fatalities in the United States for the year, and a 14.2% increase from 2020. Do not contribute to these senseless deaths by driving drunk this Hobo Days & Halloween. Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians — whether they be children trick-or-treating or adults who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

We want our community to have a safe, fun Hobo Day’s & Halloween, but to also stay safe and make responsible choices.  In today’s world, there are many options available to drivers to help them get home safely if they’ve been drinking. We expect drivers to refrain from driving after drinking on Halloween night and every single day. Let’s work together to keep our community safe.

Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 g/dL. The costs can be financial, too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time, lose your driver’s license, your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 or more in attorney’s fees, fines, car towing, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.

Celebrate with a Plan

If you plan to head out for a night of partying, follow these simple tips for a safe and happy evening:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver, call a taxi or a rideshare service to get home safely.
• If available, use your community’s sober ride program. Such as SDSU Rabbit Ride, which is free for SDSU students and visitors. Follow the following link https://www.sdstate.edu/miller-wellness-center/rabbit-ride or call 605-695-3984.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911 and report it.
• See a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

Always remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving, and https://drivesafesd.com/

Thanks,

Sgt. Wade Oorlog

SDSU Police Department