By Pendergast Law on October 30, 2017
Despite decades of urban legends about monstrous strangers hiding razors in candy, the real danger for trick-or-treaters comes from cars on the road. Amidst the fun and revelry of Halloween, it is important to remember that there are drivers on the streets among trick-or-treaters…and not all of them are driving safely.
Drunk drivers are especially dangerous for kids on Halloween. Last year in Tacoma, a 7-year-old boy was hit and put in the hospital by a suspected drunk driver. Make sure your children stay safe and use caution near streets all across Washington.
Safe Practices for Your Kids
- Supervise them. Don’t send them out trick-or-treating without a responsible adult (or responsible teenager, if you have a trusted babysitter).
- Make sure they understand to look for and avoid drivers.
- Give them flashlights so that they are easier to see, and so that they can avoid trips and falls while on the sidewalk.
- If possible, make sure they have costumes that are light in color and easy to see, or include reflective details that make them stand out at night.
- Reinforce the importance of looking both ways and being careful when crossing a road or street.
- Use marked crosswalks whenever possible.
Driver Have Responsibility, Too
If you’re driving on Halloween night, you need to be aware of traffic conditions at all times, and that includes the thousands of pedestrians on your route. Children can act carelessly without realizing it. They also may not have the skills to judge the distance and speed of objects moving toward them, so they can fail to recognize how close a car is, or how soon it would hit them. Drivers need to understand this and slow down on Halloween night, paying special attention to young people on the roads and sidewalks.
Don’t Drink and Drive
As adults, we can enjoy Halloween safely, even while having alcoholic beverages, but we should never get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. By calling a cab or Uber, not only are you keeping others safe, but you are protecting yourself from criminal prosecution and hefty personal injury lawsuits.
If you or someone you know has been hit by a motor vehicle, call Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S., at 888-539-9211. We have experience with all kinds of car accidents and would be happy to sit down with you and go over your options.