Be Smart, Be Safe, Be Seen
As children take to the streets on Halloween to trick-or-treat,
their risk of being injured by motorists increases greatly. In fact, the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports Halloween is
consistently one of the top three days for pedestrian injuries and fatalities,
and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention estimates children are four
time more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle on Halloween than any other
day of the year. Because excited trick-or-treaters often forget about safety,
motorists and parents must be even more alert.
Here are some tips for keeping young
ones safe on Halloween.
MOTORISTS
▪ Slow down in residential neighborhoods, and
obey all traffic signs and signals. Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed
limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart into the
street.
▪ Watch for children walking on roadways, medians,
and curbs. In dark costumes, they’ll be harder to see at night.
▪ Look
for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic
and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
▪ Enter
and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
▪ Turn
on your headlights and make yourself more visible—even in daylight.
▪ Broaden
your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and front
porches.
PARENTS
▪ Ensure
an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise children younger
than 12.
▪ Plan and discuss the route your
trick-or-treaters will follow.
▪ Instruct
children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
▪ Teach
children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never enter a stranger’s home or
garage.
▪ Establish
a time for children to return home.
▪ Tell
children not to eat any treats until they get home.
▪ Review
trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety
rules.
▪ Make
sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and visible with retro-reflective
material.
TRICK-OR-TREATERS
▪ Be
bright at night—wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and slap it on treat
buckets to improve visibility to motorists and others.
▪ Don’t
wear costumes that obstruct vision, and avoid face masks. Instead, use nontoxic
face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.
▪ Ensure
any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or
horseplay.
▪ Carry
a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it face down in the treat
bucket to free up one hand. Never shine it into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
▪ Stay
on sidewalks, and avoid walking in streets if possible.
▪ If
there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
▪ Cross
streets only at the corner, never midblock, and never cross between parked
vehicles.
SOURCE: Unknown
