The Illinois Department of Transportation today reminded motorists that one of the most frightening things about Halloween is encountering an impaired driver. The message is simple…Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over! If your Halloween celebration includes alcohol, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. IDOT issued the reminder as it revealed data showing the role alcohol has played in traffic fatalities during the last seven years in Illinois.

 During the last seven years in Illinois (2004-2010), 25 individuals lost their lives and 2,018 were injured in 7,723 motor vehicle crashes occurring during Halloween. Of the 25 fatalities, 11 (44%) occurred in crashes that involved an impaired driver.  More recently, in the last three years, 12 people were killed in crashes on Halloween day with six of those deaths involving alcohol.