Halloween is almost here, and it’s a very exciting day for kids who are anticipating putting on a spooky costume and consuming a copious amount of sugar. Trick-or-treating is great and it can be a lot of fun. But it also means that a lot of tiny humans are walking around on the streets. It’s super important to drive extra safe on Halloween. Check out the following tips for driving on Halloween.
Halloween driving safety tips.
1. Drive slow.
Don’t go flying through the neighborhood or speeding down the street on Halloween night. Extra speed means it takes extra time to slow down and come to a stop – like you would have to do if an enthusiastic trick-or-treater darts into the street. Be especially careful in residential areas.
2. Be alert.
Remember, kids are super hyped up on Halloween. Their parents’ lessons on how to safely cross the street – look both ways, watch and listen for cars, don’t run – might fly right out of their heads. Be prepared for unexpected ghouls, goblins, and ghosts crossing the street and keep your attention on your surroundings. Watch for kids crossing the street at unexpected places.
3. Be extra careful backing out of driveways and pulling into driveways.
Kids might forget that cars might be pulling into driveways and backing out of driveways – their eyes are on the next house that they want to hit for trick-or-treating. And kids are small. It might be hard to see them if you have a tall car, so take extra care to go slowly, look carefully, and watch for running, costumed children.
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4. Don’t drive distracted.
Distracted driving significantly impairs your reaction time and takes your attention off the road, where things can change very quickly – for example, a child running into the street. Don’t text and drive, talk on the phone, eat, fiddle with the radio station, or what have you on Halloween night. Well, don’t do that any time you’re behind the wheel, but especially when small children are walking along the street and every split second can count.
5. Turn on your headlights.
You should also turn your headlights on earlier in the day than you normally would. This will increase your visibility as you’re driving down the street, helping you spot pedestrians, but it will also help pedestrians spot you.
6. Remember that peak trick-or-treat time is 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Trick-or-treat typically happens from about 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m, so be on high alert for pedestrians. But of course, be careful at any hour, even after trick-or-treating is at a close.
7. Be careful at intersections.
Remember to be careful when you come to an intersection. Before proceeding through the intersection, watch for kids who might be crossing the street.
And don’t forget to talk to your kids about Halloween safety.
If your kids are going trick-or-treating, make sure to go over some “ground rules” to keep them safe. Remind them that they need to watch for cars and be extra careful when they’re crossing the street. Even if you’ll be with your kids as they’re trick-or-treating, it’s important that they understand the importance of being safe on the roads even during Halloween antics. Make sure your kids know to…
- Look left, right, and left again before crossing.
- Cross the street at intersections, preferably with crosswalks if they’re there.
- Walk on the sidewalk, and if there isn’t a sidewalk, walk on the left side of the street (facing the oncoming traffic.)
- Look for cars that could be turning or backing out of a driveway.
- Never walk behind a car that’s backing up.
- Walk across the street, don’t run.
- Don’t cross the street or enter the road from between parked cars or tall bushes because drivers might not see you.
Halloween is a lot of fun, but it also means that you need to take extra care when you’re driving if you have to be on the roads – especially in neighborhoods and residential areas where costumed children and running amok. Slow down, drive carefully, and scan for kids.
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