Trick or treat – Tips to ensure your Halloween doesn’t turn into a motoring offence fright night
It’s that time of year again, the time when ghosts and ghouls come out to play, kids play trick or treat, and bigger kids dress up and go to parties.
Here are at Forster Dean Motoring we have a few tips to keep you on the right side of the law this Halloween.
Costumes, costumes, costumes!
Most of us have had the “delightful experience” of being invited to a fancy dress only Halloween party. For some, a pair of horns or a cat’s tail will do. Others however like to go the whole hog and think of more and more inventive costumes every year (and why shouldn’t you! It’s Halloween!). A word of caution though – if you plan on getting into your carefully planned outfit before driving to the party, you must ensure that your outfit allows you a clear view of the road before you start your journey.
Being caught with a white sheet over your head with two cut out holes for your eyes, or wearing any kind of mask which restricts your view of the road and traffic ahead could land you not only with some funny looks from onlookers, but if caught by the police then you could face three points on your driving licence and a fine of up to £1000 for failing to have a proper view of the road.
Beware the witches brew…
At a Halloween party, you may be tempted to try some witches brew (or punch, to the less Halloween party lingo advanced of us).
Not surprisingly, the ghoulish concoctions which you may be railroaded into “sampling” could be more potent than you think, and could contain a horrifying amount of alcohol in it. Just one glass could contain several shots of alcohol (not to mention slugs, snails and puppy dogs tails!).
The truth is that in most cases, you simply don’t know what you’re drinking. As a general rule of thumb, if you haven’t made it, or bought it in a licensed premises then it’s always best to stay well clear, or arrange alternative modes of transport back home.
Driving after drinking this unknown concoction could lead to a consequence even more frightful than the hangover which will surely follow: a conviction for drink driving.
The UK drink drive limit is 35mg in breath, 80mg in blood or 107mg in urine. Unfortunately there is no hard and fast rule for how much alcohol you can drink before you reach these limits. There are too many unknown quantities: your height, your weight, the rate at which the alcohol is absorbed into your system, and certainly in the case of the witch’s brew, the strength of the alcohol that you’re consuming. Even more hellish is the mandatory minimum twelve month disqualification which would be imposed if convicted of drink driving. With this in mind, is the party punch really worth the risk of the loss of your licence,( not to mention the sheepish look on your face when your police mug shot features you dressed as Freddie Crugar or a kinky devil)?
Ghost’s, and what to do if you see one…
Should you be unlucky enough to actually come across a ghost on your travels this Halloween (whether in your car or on the road), our advice is to keep calm and keep your eyes on the road! Becoming flustered and performing aversive manoeuvres could end in a conviction for careless driving (for which you would receive 3-9 petrifying points) or worse, a conviction for dangerous driving (for which you would receive at least a 12 month driving ban, be made to sit an extended re-test and could even be sent to prison for up to two terrifying years)
Our advice: Relax, park up and have a little rest. You’re probably a little tired.
Happy Halloween!
For more information about the offences mentioned in this blog, or for help defending your right to drive if it is threatened by a motoring prosecution, please call our local rate helpline on 0333 323 1830 for FREE initial advice. We are always happy to hear from you.