Have You Considered These Halloween Safety Tips?

Posted On October 26, 2016 In Personal Injury

Halloween is supposed to be fun for parents and their children, but it can also end in tragedy if certain precautions are not taken. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Halloween is one of the top three days during the year for pedestrian accidents. This is because there are more people walking around and therefore more opportunities for vehicles to collide with pedestrians.

Traffic accidents are the primary safety risk on Halloween, but there are other hazards that warrant caution. These hazards might be avoided by planning for Halloween ahead of time. Here are some examples of tips that might help improve the safety of your trick-or-treaters.

3 Halloween Safety Tips that May Protect Trick-or-Treaters

• Costume safety: Last year, some genius had the idea of inventing an “invisible kid costume” (we are being sarcastic of course). The costume covered children head-to-toe in black fabric, making them completely invisible at night. You can probably see why this is a bad idea. The lesson here is, be wary of costumes that lower visibility. Also be wary of costumes that obstruct vision or pose tripping hazards. Costumes should also be made of flame-retardant materials.

• Increasing visibility: If for any reason your child is wearing a darker costume, you can attach reflective tape to trick-or-treating bags or the costume. Some companies also make wearable LED lights or glowing bracelets. Both can help increase visibility to traffic. Children or those supervising them should also carry a flashlight.

• Supervision: The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recommends accompanying children under 12 while they are trick-or-treating. If you cannot personally accompany your children, a responsible babysitter or family members could be other options. For older children, establish a time for them to return home and ask that they take specific routes through neighborhoods. Depending on what type of phone plan your family has, you can also keep track of them with smartphone apps like Find My Friends or Track & Treat. These apps use GPS, so you can see exactly where your children are at any time.

Halloween Safety Tips for Motorists Are Also Important

If you are going to be returning home from work or somewhere else on Halloween, there are ways that you can contribute to Halloween safety. AAA suggests the following tips for motorists.

• Always look for trick-or-treaters crossing the street, or walking along medians and curbs.

• Double-check your surroundings for trick-or-treaters while entering or exiting your driveway or parking lot.

• Make sure your headlights are on, even if it’s still light outside.

• Driver slower than you normally would. AAA recommends driving 5 miles per hour below the speed limit. You will need extra time to slow down to avoid possible collisions.

• This goes without saying, but please avoid driving if you have had alcohol.

These tips are by no means an exhaustive list of everything you can do as a parent, but are meant to serve as helpful suggestions for making trick-or-treating safer. There are two weeks left to prepare for this occasion.

The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC, wish everyone a happy Halloween!