It’s a spooky time of year when spooky things tend to happen! Halloween is especially dangerous for drivers and pedestrians, we recommend following these tips from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Department of Transportation:

  • Drive slowly in and around neighborhoods and on residential streets.
  • Don’t drink and drive. Drunk driving incidents increase on Halloween. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 41 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night from 2014 to 2018 were in crashes involving drunk driving. About one-third of all crash fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk drivers, according to NHTSA.
  • Watch for children who may dart out into the street, and always yield to pedestrians. If you see one child, there are likely more ready to cross.
  • If you’re driving children around for trick-or-treating, make sure they’re buckled up appropriately in a child car seat or with a seat belt. Make sure they buckle up each time they enter the car, and check to make sure they’re secure before you drive to the next stop.
  • Parents transporting kids for Halloween activities may be tempted to buckle them in wearing their costumes. But some costumes may have added padding or hard surfaces that will make it difficult for the car-seat harness or vehicle seat belt to properly fit the child. Consumer Reports advises buying or making costumes without padding or hard surfaces; or have your child change into their costume after arriving at their destination.
  • Pull over at safe locations to let children exit at the curb and away from traffic. Use your hazard lights to alert other drivers of your car. 
  • Try to park in a spot where you won’t need to back up. But if you must, have an adult outside to make sure no children are in the way of your vehicle when you do.
  • Don’t use a cell phone or other mobile device while driving. Pull over safely to check voice messages or texts, if necessary.

Tips for Trick-or-Treaters

The tips below are from the NHTSA and the Department of Transportation:

  • Parents should accompany children younger than 12 years old.
  • Children should walk—not run—from house to house.
  • Children should stay on sidewalks instead of walking between cars or on lawns, where there could be tripping hazards.
  • Parents should remind children to look for cars when crossing driveways.
  • Pedestrians shouldn’t assume they have the right of way, because motorists may not see them.
  • Go trick-or-treating before it is truly dark, especially with young children. 
  • Parents and children should consider choosing costumes that are lighter in color, which make it easier for drivers to see them. Adding reflective material to the front and back makes a costume easier to pick out. It can even be built into the design.
  • Avoid costumes that make it more difficult for a child to see, especially ones that include costume masks. Of course, due to the pandemic, children and chaperones should wear masks that cover the nose and mouth and practice social distancing if possible, even when walking on sidewalks. 
  • Give children a flashlight to walk with in the dark so they can be more easily seen by drivers. Glow sticks can help, too.

Happy candy-hunting from all of us at Payne Autogroup! Stay safe out there!