As children hit the streets to trick-or-treat on Halloween night, their chances of a motorist injuring them increases greatly. In fact, Halloween is one of the top three days for pedestrian injuries or deaths, according to the NHTSA. And, since the trick-or-treaters are going to be excited, they’ll likely forget about safety. Therefore, it’s up to parents and motorists to be more alert and practice safety.
Both pedestrians and motorists have to be extremely cautious on Halloween and even the days leading up to it. Drivers must not distract themselves while they are driving on this holiday since they’re at an even more increased risk of hitting a pedestrian or getting into an accident. Pedestrians need to keep alert and be aware of all activity around them.
Things Parents and Motorists Can Do to Keep Children Safe on Halloween
Parents and motorists can take certain precautions to ensure the little trick-or-treaters stay safe on Halloween. Some tips include:
- Go trick or treating together to keep an eye out for one another.
- Dress your kids in costumes with reflective tape or material to keep them visible.
- Obey all traffic signs and slowdown in residential neighborhoods.
- Drive slow and keep a look out for children walking on the roads.
- Have your kids carry a flashlight with them.
- Have your kids listen for traffic and look both ways before they cross the street.
Consumer Reports made some Halloween safety smart road tips. Among them are that drivers refrain from using their phone or other mobile device while they are behind the wheel. If you need to check texts or voicemails, pull over safely.
Also, Pokémon GO recently added their virtual Halloween update which is drawing players back to their app. If your little trick-or-treaters want to hunt down Haunter, Ghastly or other spooky Pokémon while trick-or-treating, ensure it doesn’t become a distraction that could turn deadly.
UC San Diego and San Diego State University researchers did a review of postings on Twitter where they found that over just a 10-day period, there were around 113,000 total incidences of a passenger, driver or pedestrian was due to being distracted with Pokémon GO.
If as a motorist you’re involved in a collision on Halloween night, check to see if anyone is injured and requires medical care. Then, exchange auto insurance information, and call your independent insurance agent as soon as possible.
