Drunken Drivers Can't Hide Behind Halloween Masks

Marin County law enforcement agencies want to remind all the goblins and ghouls to keep the party off the road this weekend.

officers will be on alert for drunken driving and extra DUI saturation patrols will also be on the look out, according to spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher.

“Far too many people spend hours and hours preparing their Halloween costumes and party plans But too often impaired drivers never plan ahead for their designated driver and end up making the roads scarier than a horror show,” Interim Police Chief Jeff Franzini said.

This upcoming weekend and Halloween night is one of the deadliest times of the year for impaired drivers, Rohrbacher said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that 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 of .08 percent or higher.

Here are some tips on how to stay safe:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
• Before drinking, designate a sober, ‘Non Drinking’ driver.
• If you’re impaired, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to report drunk drivers.
• And remember: Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.  If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.