Parties, trick or treating, and kids everywhere having lots of fun are how we love to celebrate Halloween. Unfortunately, the fun can quickly turn to heartache if precautions aren’t taken to keep everyone safe.
Did you know that Halloween is the deadliest day of the year for young pedestrians? In fact, according to the US Department of Transportation, kids are three times more likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than on any other holiday. Let’s look at some of the best pedestrian safety tips all of us can use this Halloween.
Costume Safety
Kids and an ever-increasing adult crowd are all geared up for Halloween, and their costumes reflect their excitement! As you plan your family costumes this year, here are a few things to consider:
- Make sure costumes that are long in length are hemmed appropriately so that they are not a tripping hazard. You don’t want your little ghost falling down the stairs after grabbing their candy at the door.
- If a costume includes a mask, consider making the holes for the eyes larger so that it is easier to see where you are stepping. This simple task could keep you from falling as well as allow you to see cars, bikes, etc., better as you cross the street. You may also consider applying makeup instead of a mask for your costume.
- If your trick or treaters or going out when it’s dark, add reflective tape to their costumes and even trick-or-treating bags. They could wear glow sticks in fun ways, such as necklaces, bracelets, headbands, or fastened to their shoes. Giving them a flashlight is always helpful as well in alerting drivers and other people that they are present.
General Pedestrian Safety Tips
With most pedestrian accidents occurring within residential neighborhoods on Halloween, there are a few general tips you can abide by to increase safety for you and your loved ones. These may include:
- Making sure a responsible adult goes trick or treating with young children and even older children if possible
- Being sure of the route that your older kids and teenagers are going to be taking as they trick-or-treat. Also, agree on a time that they should be home.
- Teaching your children to never go alone and always stay with their friends. It is much safer to travel as a group!
- Talking to kids (and adults) about how much more aware and, in turn, safe they are if they are not constantly on their phones or other electronic devices as they walk or run down the street. Keep your head up and stay alert to what is going on around you.
- Ditching those headphones on Halloween night. You need to be completely attentive and mindful of what is happening around you. If there is a car nearby, you need to be able to hear it.
- Reminding your kids and youth never to enter the home or car of someone they do not know. Halloween can be primetime for a child to go missing. Staying in a group and never leaving that group will also be your best bet here.
- Always using sidewalks rather than walking down the street. If you must walk on the road because no sidewalk is available, walk toward traffic, so you are aware of vehicles coming toward you instead of behind you.
- Crossing the street at crosswalks, traffic lights, or corners that motorists must stop at can help keep you safe as well. Always look to the left, to the right, and then to the left again to be sure you have not missed an oncoming car.
- Teaching your children to watch for cars backing out of driveways is an excellent thing to remember every day of the week. On Halloween, people could be coming and going from parties or picking up friends and then get lost in the excitement of it all and forget to watch out for kids or others that could be behind them.
- Reminding kids not to ever dart out from in-between parked cars. It can be nearly impossible for drivers to avoid a child that appears on the street so suddenly.
- Making eye contact with the driver before crossing in front of a car, even at a crosswalk.
Use Extra Precaution When Driving on Halloween
As a driver, you have a responsibility to keep yourself and those around you safe. On Halloween, you must be even more attentive and careful. Choose to make these changes not just on Halloween but every day.
- Get rid of distractions that will take your attention off the road. This may include cell phones, changing the music often, eating, applying makeup while driving, etc. You know the things that distract you. Do what you can to stop them.
- Turn your headlights on earlier in the day. It never hurts to shed more light on the subject!
- Be extra careful when backing out of driveways. Take extra time to look for pedestrians.
- SLOW DOWN! With extra pedestrians out and about on Halloween, slowing down can prove very helpful, especially if a child were to dart out suddenly.
Involved in a Pedestrian Accident?
Unfortunately, accidents do happen no matter how hard you try to follow all the pedestrian safety tips above. If you or a loved one is involved in a pedestrian accident, the caring legal team at Wormington & Bollinger is here to help. Accidents and injuries can be overwhelming to experience and work through. Healing and moving on are in your best interest. This is why hiring a trusted legal expert to handle your lawsuit can do wonders in letting you do just that – heal and get back to the life you love. Call our team for more information and to schedule a no-cost consultation.
We look forward to taking the burden of a lawsuit off your plate, leaving you to spend your time where you choose. Call us today.