Mixing Boos and Booze: Friday Halloween Most Dangerous

DENVER, Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report that tracks the drinking behavior of more than 380,000 DUI offenders 24/7 shows that when Halloween falls on a Friday, drinking violations skyrocket more than 2½ times compared to when Halloween falls on any other day of the week.

The data, compiled and released by Denver-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS), shows patterns in behavior for DUI offenders who were monitored for drinking with transdermal ankle monitors that test every 30 minutes, 24/7. The majority of those offenders are considered to be high-risk, repeat drunk drivers who knew they were being monitored and that there would be consequences, including incarceration. According to AMS vice president Lou Sugo, that makes the data especially startling. "These individuals are being monitored every 30 minutes, and they know they're going to be caught," says Sugo. "You can imagine the rate of drinking for those who aren't being monitored." The data looked at offenders monitored beginning in 2003 and residing in 49 states, Canada, and the U.K.

AMS has released a Halloween Infographic designed to call attention to the dangers and risks of binge drinking and DUIs on Halloween.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 48% of all traffic-related fatalities occurring on Halloween resulted from a drunk driving-related crash. NHTSA is publicizing the data as part of their ongoing Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over awareness campaign. Officials caution that sobriety checkpoints will be prominent on Halloween, which has become one of the deadliest days of the year for drunk driving. "When people drink they generally make bad choices, and deciding to get behind the wheel of a car is just one of the potential issues," says Sugo. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 41 million children are expected to be out on the streets trick-or-treating this year.

Some Tips Before Heading out to Celebrate Halloween:

• Plan ahead! Don't wait until you start drinking to figure out how you're getting home.
• Add contact information for local cab or car services into your phone or keep it handy. Many companies even offer special fares during Halloween, so check ahead.
• Download and pre-populate your information for apps such as Uber or Lyft, making it easy to hale a ride at the end of the evening.
• Identify a Designated Driver for the evening and STICK WITH IT. If plans change, have a back-up, such as one of the options above.
• Make sure children are wearing lights and/or reflective clothing when they're out trick-or-treating.

About Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. (AMS)

Established in 1997, Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. (AMS) is the world's leading provider of alcohol testing technologies for the criminal justice industry. The company's flagship Continuous Alcohol Monitoring (CAM) technology, launched in 2003, revolutionized the way courts, agencies and treatment providers monitor and manage alcohol-involved offenders. In 2013 the company launched the SCRAM Systems suite of electronic monitoring technologies, which includes SCRAM Remote Breath™, SCRAM One-Piece GPS,™ SCRAM GPS™, and SCRAM House Arrest™. AMS employs 156 people worldwide and is a privately-held company headquartered in Littleton, Colorado.

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SOURCE Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.alcoholmonitoring.com