Idaho Law Blog
Halloween is all about fun and being scared for one night. Make sure the fun does not end with a frightening crash. Statistics indicate that children are more than twice more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Unsafe conditions are created with sunset occurring prior to 7:00 p.m. and children being out on the streets as pedestrians to gather candy. The popular hours to trick-or-treat are between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
AAA Idaho suggests these basic Halloween safety tips:
- Drive slower than posted speed limits. Children are excited and preoccupied with the activities of the night and forget about traffic and potential dangers. They may dart out into traffic. Young children lack the ability to judge the speed and distance needed for a car to stop.
- Motorists should enter and exit driveways and alleys with more caution and exit slowly.
- Parents should walk with children under the age of 12 showing them safe places to cross the street. Make sure you teach them to look both ways before crossing and to cross from corners, not in the middle of the street or roadway.
- Children should wear light colored clothing or costumes with reflective material or tape for better visibility for drivers.
- Children should carry a flashlight to be seen; however, instruct them not to shine the flashlight into the eyes of drivers.
- Use face paint instead of masks for costumes so that children can see and hear oncoming traffic.
- Children should walk on the sidewalks and not in the street. Instruct your trick or treaters not to hide between parked vehicles.
Keep your little ghosts and goblins out of harm’s way by following basic rules of the road and adhering to safety guidelines.
If you are injured from a collision, Racine Olson’s personal injury team is available for a consultation. Please call our experienced lawyers at: 208-232-6101.
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