Distracted and Impaired Drivers Pose Dangers for Trick-or-Treaters
· According to Safe Kids Worldwide, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year.
· The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that Halloween is consistently one of the top three days of the year for pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
· Halloween is also a statistically dangerous night for impaired driving. Although Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, many parties will be held the weekend before. Drivers must also take into consideration that some neighborhoods have scheduled trick-or-treating for that weekend as well. The combination of drinking and increased pedestrian traffic on Halloween has been a deadly combination.
· Tragically, Halloween drunk-driving fatalities are on the rise. From 2012-16 there were 168 drunk driving fatalities nationwide on Halloween night. During that period 44 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night were in crashes involving an impaired driver, according to NHTSA statistics. Children out trick-or-treating and those accompanying them are also at risk, as 14 percent of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween night involved impaired drivers. Younger people are most at risk: The 21- to 34-year-old age group accounted for the most fatalities (46 percent) in impaired-driving crashes on Halloween night in 2016.
AAA Halloween Safety Tips
Motorists
· Eliminate distractions while driving.
· 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.
· Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and may cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
· Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys, taking extra care if you are backing up or turning.
· Turn your headlights on to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
· Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and on front porches.
Parents
· Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and light in color to improve visibility.
· Be bright at night – have trick-or-treaters use glow sticks or wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and on treat buckets.
· Ensure that disguises don’t obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. 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.
· Ask an adult or older child to supervise children under age 12.
· Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
· Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger’s home or garage.
· Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
Trick-or-Treaters
· 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.
· Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
· Watch for cars turning or backing up.
· Cross streets only at the corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks, and 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.
· Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries. Never shine flashlights into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
Party Goers
· Before you take your first drink, make a plan on how you will get home. Options are to take a taxi or rideshare service, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation. Load ride share apps or put numbers of local cab companies or your designated driver(s) into your phone.
· Walking impaired can be as dangerous as impaired driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
· If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
· If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.
