Irving, Texas – October 21, 2013 – Halloween is one of the most anticipated nights of the year for kids and families, but it is also a night for drivers to be especially mindful of pedestrian safety. Twice as many child pedestrians are killed while walking on Halloween, compared to any other day of the year.
National Motor Club – a leading provider of emergency roadside assistance and other safety, security and savings benefits to drivers nationwide – wants to make sure that Halloween is generally nightmare-free and as safe as possible.
To help protect trick-or-treaters, National Motor Club recommends that drivers follow these simple safety tips:
- Avoid driving while distracted. In particular, avoid typing or looking at a mobile phone or other electronic device while driving. If you must have a phone conversation while driving, use a hands-free option.
- Drive cautiously. Drive below the posted speed limit in residential areas during trick-or-treating hours, particularly around dusk and the early evening, when visibility is limited and most trick-or-treaters are out. As always, yield to pedestrians, particularly young trick-or-treaters who might not stop for your vehicle. Do not pass other vehicles that have stopped in the roadway, as they could be dropping off children or blocking your view of pedestrians ahead.
- Communicate proactively with other drivers. If you are dropping off or picking up your kids, pull off the road into a safe spot and turn on your hazard lights to alert other motorists. Also be sure to use turn signals, to alert both drivers and pedestrians of your intentions.
- Pay special attention in high-traffic areas. Watch out especially for certain areas when driving, such as crosswalks, intersections and the side of the road, where there are more likely to be trick-or-treating pedestrians.
- A special note to parents of trick-or-treaters:
Remember to equip your children for maximum nighttime visibility. To protect your own children, be sure they carry a flashlight or glow stick, or have reflective tape on their costume, to make them more visible to other drivers on the road.
View the Halloween Driver Safety Tips Infographic