Halloween is coming soon, and this year COVID-19 will surely make it different for many trick-or-treaters.
While protection from the virus will be on most parents’ minds, if they are allowing children to go out to trick or treat it is also important to protect them as they walk or ride bicycles on the sidewalks and roadways.
Motorists and pedestrians can take steps to make this year’s Halloween a safe one. Although Halloween comes before the change back to standard time this year, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. With shorter days comes more night driving. Because nighttime driving is more dangerous, it requires extra attention from motorists as well as pedestrians.
Here is a scary fact from the National Safety Council, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any day of the year.
Tips for motorists
• Avoid using hand-held electronic devices.
• Remember that as soon as you step out of your car, you become a pedestrian.
• Be especially alert for all road users, including pedestrians, at night.
• Slow down in areas where pedestrians are likely to be or where sight distances are limited. Watch for children walking on roads, medians, and curbs. Enter and exit driveways carefully
• Be especially alert for children darting out from between parked vehicles and from behind bushes and shrubs. • Never drink and drive
• If you see a drunken driver or impaired pedestrian, contact law enforcement.
Tips for parents
• Adults should always accompany children and supervise their “trick or treat” activities.
• Teach children to “stop, look left-right-left, and listen” before they cross the street.
• Use a flashlight, and wear retro-reflective strips or patches on your clothing or costume to be more visible to motorists.
• Be certain that the mask does not obstruct vision or hearing.
• Ensure that costumes do not impede walking or driving ability.
Tips for walkers
• Before crossing a street, stop at the curb or edge of the road and look left, right, and left again to be sure no cars are coming. Continue to check for traffic while on the street.
• Walk – never run – from house to house or across the road.
• Cross the street only at intersections and crosswalks.
• When crossing at an intersection with a traffic light, be sure to watch for turning cars. Obey all pedestrian signals.
• Walk on sidewalks whenever possible. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the street facing traffic.
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