Tackling Safety On Halloween

In the past week LAPD officers responded to more than 20 crimes in USC’s 1-mile radius. With Halloween around the corner, some students at USC are concerned about their safety and will be taking precautions when going out during the weekend.

“I make sure to have a group of people with me, be on the lookout and not have any really valuable items visible. I have pepper spray, which I don’t know if I should or should not have but I have it with me just in case,” said sophomore Tiana Huling.

“There’s a lot of DPS officers. I don’t know if it’s on every block but they’re stationed in a lot of places around the area so I wouldn’t be concerned at all,” said senior Conor Perrin.

Perrin said he’s seen USC safety come a long way since his freshmen year when there was a shooting on campus.

One of the main concerns during Halloween is drunk driving. In California, from 2003 to 2012, 10,327 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver. In the United States, one in three traffic deaths involves a drunk driver.

(Halloween DUI Infographic / Maria Cavassuto Annenberg Media)

 Mother’s Against Drunk Driving’s (MADD) mission is to help eradicate drunk driving and create awareness and educate both young adults and teens on its dangers. Since 1986, they’ve adopted red ribbons that stand for “Tie One On For Safety” as part of their outreach programs.

“We know “tie one on” is typically a term usually used for having a drink but MADD has kind of flipped that around to remind people to be safe,” said Carol West, Program Specialist for MADD.

In an effort to curb drunk driving, LAPD sets up DUI checkpoints. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, checkpoints reduce drunk driving related incidents or crashes by 9%. Driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher, results in a DUI but even lower levels can impair driving.

Mr. Checkpoint, an app that provides official checkpoint information was set up to help promote sober and safe driving. If you get a DUI and need a lawyer, you can fill out a form through their app and receive a call from one in 24 hours.

The CDC has several pointers to help people act safely during these situations – designating a sober driver and preparing ahead are key.

Uber is also offering tips to using their services during Halloween, however, these are geared more towards using Uber safely and not incurring additional fees than keeping Halloween-goers safe.