Halloween night is rapidly approaching, and parents will soon be busy planning their children’s costumes and activities. However, Halloween can be a dangerous time for kids.
Motorists who will be out and about during trick-or-treating hours must exercise added caution to avoid causing an accident that could maim or even kill a child. Below are some safety tips for Halloween driving:
- Consider staying off the road during popular trick-or-treating hours. Unless there is an urgent need to travel during those hours, avoid driving.
- Be aware of kids walking on streets and darting between cars. Halloween is an exciting time, and children can be very unpredictable.
- Reduce your speed. Be prepared to drive slower than the posted speeds, and don’t follow the car ahead of you too closely. These precautions can help you avoid a rear-end collision if the other driver has to stop suddenly.
- Don’t drink and drive. Adults celebrate Halloween as well as kids, but instead of feasting on candy, they may overindulge on alcohol. If you plan to drink, arrange for a sober ride to and from your party destination.
- Be especially careful backing out of driveways. Anticipate that children may be traipsing back and forth on sidewalks and streets to collect candy.
- Watch out for drunk or otherwise impaired drivers. Just because you’re sober, that doesn’t mean that everyone else on the roads will be as well. If you see a motorist driving erratically, give them a wide berth and call 911 to report them once you can pull over safely to do so.
Despite the above safety tips, you might still wind up involved in a collision on Halloween. If that happens, filing a claim for damages can allow you to seek financial compensation for your losses and damages.