Drunk Drivers Can’t Hide Behind Halloween Costumes Drivers Beware: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving  ATLANTA, Ga., (October 24, 2011) - As party-going ghosts and goblins celebrate Halloween this October, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) is reminding everyone to keep the party off the road.  “There isn’t a Halloween costume clever enough to hide an impaired driver who has made the possibly deadly, and certainly poor, decision to get behind the wheel,” said GOHS Director Harris Blackwood. “Whether you’ve had one too many or way too many, it is just not worth the risk.”  That’s why GOHS is joining highway safety partners statewide to crack down on drunk drivers this Halloween. Traffic enforcement officers across the state will embark on a special Halloween H.E.A.T (Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic) campaign to stop impaired drivers before they can kill.  Because unfortunately, the bewitching hour that brings out all of the trick-or-treating little princesses and pirates is also an especially dangerous time to be on the road. And Halloween night is one of the deadliest nights of the year for impaired drivers. Crash numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that in 2009, nearly half of all traffic fatalities across the nation on Halloween night (6 p.m. October 31 to 5:59 a.m. November 1) involved a motorist with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, which is illegal in all 50 states.  “The scariest parts of Halloween aren’t the haunted houses or scary pranks,” said GOHS Director Blackwood. “It’s the fact that too often, impaired drivers don’t plan ahead and end up making the roads scarier than a horror movie.”  Director Blackwood recommends the following tips to keep Halloween from turning into a real nightmare:Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.Designate a sober driver before drinking.If you’re impaired and don’t have a sober driver, call a sober friend or family member or use public transportation so you’re sure to get home safely.Or visit http://www.maddga.org/TaxiLocatorService.html to find a taxi service near you.·  Don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement if you see a drunk driver on the road·  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.  For more information about the dangers of drunk driving, visit www.stopimpaireddriving.org or visit the GOHS website at www.gahighwaysafety.org.