FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 31, 2012
Contact: Megan Sanborn
(207) 626-8405

Secretary of State Charles E. Summers, Jr. Reminds Drivers to Beware of Trick-or-Treaters and to be Responsible This Halloween

AUGUSTA, Maine – Secretary of State Charlie Summers would like to remind Maine drivers to be particularly alert on the evening of Wednesday, October 31, 2012 when many kids will be trick-or-treating for Halloween. He urges that motorists slow down in residential areas and keep an eye out for pedestrians in the roadway. 

?It can be difficult to see children on Halloween, especially if they are wearing dark-colored costumes? said Summers.? ?Dusk is general the busiest for families and groups of children to be out trick-or-treating, please be extra careful when you are driving during the dusk hours.?

Secretary Summers would also like to ask those adults who are attending Halloween parties to celebrate responsibly. If you plan on drinking, make sure you have arranged for a safe ride home with a designated driver, sober friend or family member, taxi cab service, etc. And if you believe a person may be impaired while driving, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 48 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night in 2009 involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.