Once a year, we accompany our little ones as they dress up in costumes ranging from spooky to silly and roam our neighborhoods to collect delicious sweet treats. Halloween is a time of fun, laughter, and bonding for children and families across the country. But while we desire our kids to experience the joys of Halloween, Trick-or-Treating, and funny costumes, we also care about their safety from reckless drivers that have not prepared themselves for pedestrian-laden streets.
Aside from New Year’s Eve, Halloween (October 31) is the most deadly time for pedestrians to be on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is due to the increased volume of pedestrians on the road, such as children and parents moving from door to door, but mostly because of the large amounts of drunk drivers recklessly endangering these trick-or-treating communities. A study conducted in 2011 by the NHTSA reported that 38 percent of fatalities on Halloween night nationwide occurred in a crash involving a driver or a motorist with a blood alcohol content at or above the legal limit of .08. The U.S. Department of Transportation also reported that more than twice as many children are killed in vehicle-pedestrian accidents on Halloween than on any other single day. Be sure to follow these tips to have a safe, fun evening:
Parents, Children, & Pedestrians
- Plan your trick-or-treating route beforehand and communicate it to the kids. This helps to keep the little ones vigilant and alert to where they are going.
- Be sure to have an adult accompany all children that are 11 years or younger.
- Utilize flashlights, blinkers, and reflective tape to increase visibility. These can be attached and integrated easily into costumes.
- Instruct the kids to walk to and from each house, using sidewalks if available.
Motorists
- Drive at low speeds in and around residential areas and neighborhood streets.
- Refrain from using technology or cell phones while driving. If you need to make or take a call, pull to the side of the road so you can safely operate your devices.
- Children can do unexpected things like running out suddenly into the street. Stay alert!
- Pull in and out of alleys and driveways carefully.
- Don’t drink and drive! If you find yourself inebriated with no one sober to ride with, call a taxi service like Uber or Lyft to get a ride home.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, please call pedestrian accident lawyer at The Law Offices of Christopher DeBari at (727) 656-7852 as soon as possible to begin protecting your legal rights.
