Happy Halloween
Posted on Oct 23, 2023
There will be more ghosts, witches, and superheroes wandering along the roads this Halloween looking for candy and treats. It’s important that drivers remain vigilant and keep an eye out for costumed children darting into the road, crossing parking lots, or strolling along the streets.
The scary reality is that Halloween has been one of the deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, especially children, statistics show. The risk of a pedestrian fatality was 43 percent higher on Halloween, based on a comprehensive study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association that analyzed 42 years of data.
Tips for Trick-or-Treaters
- Parents should accompany children younger than 12.
- Children should walk—not run—from house to house.
- Children should stay on sidewalks instead of walking between cars or on lawns, where there could be tripping hazards.
- Parents should remind children to look for cars when crossing driveways.
- Pedestrians shouldn’t assume they have the right of way, because motorists might not see them.
- Go trick-or-treating before it is truly dark, especially with young children.
- Parents and children should consider choosing costumes that are lighter in color, which make it easier for drivers to see them. Adding reflective material to the front and back makes a costume easier to pick out. It can even be built into the design.
- Avoid costumes that make it more difficult for a child to see, especially costumes that include masks. Of course, because of the pandemic, children and chaperones should wear face masks that cover the nose and mouth, and they should practice social distancing.
- Give children a flashlight to walk with in the dark, so they can be more easily seen by drivers. Glow sticks can help, too.
- Kids should keep their phones in their pockets, unless taking photos on a porch. Walking with a device increases the risk of the child not being aware of their surroundings.
Tips for Drivers
- Drive slowly in and around neighborhoods and on residential streets, even if you don’t see trick-or-treaters around.
- Don’t drink and drive. Drunk driving incidents increase on Halloween. In 2020, 56 people were killed on Halloween night in drunk-driving crashes, according to NHTSA. Alcohol was involved for the driver and/or pedestrian in 47 percent of all fatal pedestrian crashes in 2020.
- Watch for children who may dart out into the street, and always yield to pedestrians. If you see one child, there are likely to be more who are ready to cross.
- If you’re driving children around for trick-or-treating, make sure they’re buckled up appropriately in a child car seat or with a seat belt. Make sure they buckle up each time they enter the car, and check to make sure they’re secure before you drive to the next stop.
- Parents transporting kids for Halloween activities may be tempted to buckle them in wearing their costumes. But some costumes may have added padding or hard surfaces that will make it difficult for the car-seat harness or vehicle seat belt to properly fit the child. Consumer Reports advises buying or making costumes without padding or hard surfaces; or have your child change into their costume after arriving at their destination.
- Pull over at safe locations to let children exit at the curb and away from traffic. Use your hazard lights to alert other drivers of your car.
- When driving, make sure your headlights are on—not just your daytime running lights.
- Try to park in a spot where you won’t need to back up. But if you must, have an adult outside to make sure no children are in the way of your vehicle when you do.
- Don’t use a cell phone or other mobile device while driving. Pull over safely to check voice messages or texts, if necessary.