Halloween lands on a Saturday in 2026. That means trick-or-treating in the early evening, parties that run late, and a weekend night when a lot of people will be out on the roads after dark.
It is a fun night. It is also one of the nights when impaired driving deserves the most attention, and impaired driving is closely tied to wrong-way crashes.
What the national numbers show
NHTSA tracks crashes on Halloween night, which it defines as 6 p.m. on October 31 through 5:59 a.m. on November 1. According to NHTSA's Halloween safety materials, from 2019 to 2024, 176 people were killed on Halloween night in crashes involving a drunk driver with a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. Those victims included 31 pedestrians.
Those numbers reflect a single night each year. Behind each one is a family whose Halloween became something else.
Why this matters for wrong-way risk
ADOT's wrong-way driving page describes a pattern that lines up with a Saturday Halloween almost exactly:
- Two out of three wrong-way crashes are caused by impaired drivers.
- Three out of four happen between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- One-third happen between midnight and 3 a.m.
- More than half happen on weekends.
A weekend holiday night centered on parties fits every part of that list. The hours after midnight, when parties end and people head home, deserve particular care.
If you are going to a party
Decide how you are getting home before you go. Designated driver, rideshare, taxi, or staying over. Make the plan while you are sober, because alcohol affects the judgment you would use to make it later.
Costumes and driving do not always mix. Masks, hoods, and makeup that limit your vision or movement are worth removing before you get behind the wheel.
If you drove, leave the car. Get it in the morning.
Watch out for friends. If someone in your group is about to drive impaired, offer a ride, call them one, or ask them to stay.
If you are hosting
Serve food, offer good non-alcoholic options, stop serving alcohol well before the party ends, and pay attention to who is planning to drive. Have rideshare information handy, and make the couch available. A host who helps everyone get home safely has done the most important part of the job.
If you are driving on Halloween night
Slow down in neighborhoods. Trick-or-treaters, many of them young and in dark costumes, will be crossing streets in the early evening, often between parked cars.
Expect the unexpected later in the night. As the evening goes on, the concern shifts toward impaired drivers. Leave extra room, avoid distractions, and stay alert, especially after midnight.
Know what to do if you see a wrong-way driver. If headlights are coming toward you on a divided highway, slow down, steer away to the right when it is clear, get to a safe place, and call 911. If an overhead message board warns of a wrong-way driver, ADOT advises moving toward the nearest exit as soon as it is safe.
Know the warning signs if you made the wrong turn. Red DO NOT ENTER or WRONG WAY signs facing you, or red reflectors on the pavement, mean stop. Pull to the edge, turn on your hazard lights, stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt on, and call 911.
Walking families
If your family is trick-or-treating, carry a flashlight or use glow sticks, add reflective tape to costumes, cross at corners, and keep young children close. Some neighborhoods have limited sidewalks or street lighting, so being easy to see matters.
A plan is the best costume accessory
Halloween does not have to be dangerous. Nearly every serious risk on Halloween night can be reduced by a plan made early: who is driving, how people are getting home, and where everyone will stay if plans change.
NMWWD is a Phoenix nonprofit working to prevent wrong-way crashes through awareness, technology, and community. Please share this with the people you will celebrate with this weekend. If you would like to support our work, donate or get involved.
Sources: NHTSA Traffic Safety Marketing — Halloween: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving · Arizona Department of Transportation — Wrong-Way Drivers