Iowa Department of Public Safety
Eugene T. Meyer, Commissioner
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Telephone Number: (515) 725-6182
Facsimile Number: (515) 725-6195

Colonel Patrick J. Hoye, Chief

ALL HALLOW'S EVE CALLS FOR
ALL RESPONSIBLE ADULTS

Des Moines, IOWA --- More and more adults are using Halloween as an excuse to gather together with friends and celebrate. Since the ghoulish holiday falls over a weekend this year, there will likely be many costume parties at which adults choose to celebrate with alcohol.  If you attend one of these gatherings, the Department of Public Safety, Iowa State Patrol Division encourages you to act responsibly.  Never drink and drive.  Remember, there will be costumed children roaming the streets in search of treats this weekend. 

Tips for Drivers:

• Don’t Drink and Drive.  If you choose to celebrate Halloween with alcohol, have alternate transportation arranged ahead of time.
• Stay Alert!  There will be an increased number of children traveling the streets, especially in residential neighborhoods.
• Watch for children walking across streets, stepping out from behind parked cars and walking on medians and curbs.
• Pay close attention when backing up.  It can be particularly difficult to see small children when driving in reverse.
• Slow Down!  Speeding in residential areas when there are large numbers of active children is a recipe for disaster.

On any given weekend during the month of October, there’s anywhere from 450 to 600 motor vehicle crashes in the state of Iowa; ranging from simple property damage accidents to major fatality accidents.  Halloween weekend is no exception.  In fact, over the holiday weekend in Iowa last year, about half of all motor vehicle accidents that resulted in a fatality, involved a drunk driver.  Nationwide, more than half of all traffic deaths on Halloween night in 2008 were alcohol-related.  Now that’s a truly frightening reality.

To enroll in the DPS E-mail Notification system simply log on to https://dpsemailnotify.iowa.gov and follow the instructions to enroll as a new user.