Halloween Driving Safety Tips

On Halloween, your neighborhood literally will be crawling with creatures, and it's your job to be sure they take their treats home safely. While the roaming ghosts, goblins and assorted critters aren't real, they do represent legitimate safety concerns for drivers.

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A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control from 1975 to 1996 found that the number of deaths among young pedestrians (ages 5-14) is four times higher on Halloween evening than any other evening of the year. Data from 1999 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports show that:

• Fatal collisions between motor vehicles and young pedestrians (under 15 years of age) happen most frequently between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. — prime trick-or-treating time;
• Eighty-four (84) percent of deaths among young pedestrians occurred at non-intersection locations (indicating children are most likely to dart and dash from mid-block into the street); and
• Of the 4,906 pedestrian/motor vehicle fatalities in 1999, 517 were young pedestrians. Of those, 62 percent were male

To help everyone bring home treats — not tragedies — follow these 10 tips for a safe Halloween:

• Know when your neighborhood is holding Halloween activities. When the actual holiday falls on a weekday, some neighborhoods may opt to have trick-or-treating on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening.
• Don't use a cell phone while driving through neighborhoods. A single distraction could lead to a tragedy. Pay extra attention to the side of the road while driving.
• Stay well below the posted speed limit during trick-or-treating hours.
• Do not pass other vehicles that have stopped in the roadway. Other vehicles could be dropping off children.
• Be alert when driving through intersections. Children could be crossing the street.
• Never assume a pedestrian approaching the roadway will yield to your vehicle. Children may not see your vehicle approaching or might not be familiar with crossing roadways.
• Make sure other drivers can see you. If you're driving a group of children, but you're staying in the running vehicle at the curb, be sure to put on your hazard lights to alert other motorists.
• Make sure other drivers can see the children. Give the children flashlights and glow sticks or use reflective tape on their costumes. These items will help the children make their way in the dark and ensure that drivers see them.
• Be sure your children know how to cross a street. Instruct children to look both ways before crossing the street and to cross only at corners or crosswalks
• Take advantage of your community's Halloween safety programs. Most communities offer Halloween activities for younger children that keep them out of harm's way. Your community may also offer a service that inspects candy to ensure that it is safe for children to eat.