Halloween Can Be Scary ... for Motorists!
It's almost Halloween, and that means youngsters will don frightful attire and dart from house to house in an effort to gather a large quantity of goodies. As children take to the streets to trick-or-treat, the risk of unintentional injuries rises, making it important for motorists to drive carefully and stay alert. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that Halloween is consistently one of the top three days for pedestrian injuries and fatalities. In addition, a study by the Center for Disease Control estimates that children are four times more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle on Halloween than any other day of the year. Trick-or-treaters often focus on the excitement of Halloween and forget about safety. Motorists need to remember that ghosts and goblins can pop up anywhere on Halloween. By following these simple tips, the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education and AAA suggests the following to ensure their safety:
As a motorist:
- Watch your speed. Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals. Drive at least 5 miles below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart out in front of your vehicle.
- Watch for children walking on roadways, median and curbs. If these little ghosts and goblins are wearing dark costumes, they will be hard to see at night.
- Watch carefully for children crossing the street. Children may not be paying attention to traffic and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
- Be prepared for children to dart out into the street at any time, especially from behind parked cars.
- Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
- Turn on your vehicle’s headlights, even in the daylight. The lights make you more visible.
- Broaden your visual scanning – look left and right into yards and front porches.
As a parent:
- Make sure an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising children under the age of 12.
- Plan and discuss the route your trick-or-treaters intend to follow.
- Instruct your child to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.
- Teach your child to stop at well-lit houses and never to enter a stranger's home.
- Establish a return time.
- Tell your child not to eat any treats until they return home.
- Review trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
As a trick-or-treater:
- Be bright at night. Wear retro-reflective tape on your costume so you can easily be seen.
- Wear a disguise that does not obstruct your vision.
- Stay on sidewalks, not in the street.
- If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
- Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
- Cross only at the corner.
- Never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
- Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.
- Tell your parents where you are going.