Balancing Fun with Safety this Halloween
Between dressing up in their favorite costume and being handed free candy, for children, nothing quite compares with the fun that accompanies Halloween night. But while it is all fun and games for children, parents understand that there is often a fine line between having fun and staying safe. This is especially true for pedestrian and road safety.
According to a statistical report on unintentional injuries created by the National Safety Council (NSC), children are more than twice as likely to be fatally injured in a pedestrian accident on Halloween night than any other day. Last year, October ranked 2nd only to July for fatal motor vehicle accidents in a given month.
Causes of Pedestrian Deaths
The NSC has revealed that approximately 18 percent of pedestrian deaths occur at road crossings or intersections. Contributing factors include poor visibility due to lighting or dark clothing, and various other circumstances that differed according to age. For children aged five to nine, about 15 percent of fatal accidents involved children who were darting or running into the street. That number fell to 7 percent for children aged 10 to 15.
Tips to Keep Children (and Adults) Safe this Halloween
There are several precautions however, that can be taken to increase safety this Halloween season. The American Academy of Pediatrics has compiled a list of what to do and what not to do to stay safe this Halloween:
- Young children should be accompanied by an adult while trick-or-treating
- If children are of an age to trick-or-treat without adult supervision, plan a route with them that you deem acceptable
- Assign a specific time when children are to return home
- Teach children to never get into a stranger’s home or vehicle
- Emphasize with your children that they should always stick together with their friends and to only travel in familiar and well-lit areas
- Instruct your children not to eat any of their candy or treats until they return home so that you may first inspect it
- Ensure that all costumes, wigs, and accessories that your children wear are fire-resistant
- Avoid masks when possible to prevent the obstruction of vision
- If children will be out after it becomes dark, provide them with glow sticks and reflective tape or something that will allow drivers to see them from farther away
- Buy only nontoxic makeup and remove all of it prior to them going to bed
Additionally, adults (as well as children) are reminded to abstain from looking down at phones and other electronic devices while walking. They should proceed to walk – not run – across the street. It is also important that they look left and right and make eye contact with drivers prior to crossing, always walk on sidewalks when possible, watch for cars that are turning or backing up, and abstain from walking through two parked cars.
Tips for Driving on Halloween
For those adults who plan on driving during peak trick-or-treating hours, it remains imperative that they stay alert for children walking on roadways, curbs, and medians; enter and exit roads and driveways carefully; watch for pedestrians in dark clothing; and discourage inexperienced drivers from driving all together. The most popular time for trick-or-treating is between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm, so it is especially important to be highly vigilant during that time.
Philadelphia Injury Lawyers at Freedman & Lorry, P.C. Obtain Compensation for Injured Pedestrian Accident Victims
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured due to the negligence of another, call the Philadelphia injury lawyers at Freedman & Lorry, P.C. at 888-999-1962 to schedule a free consultation today. You can also contact us online. We have offices in Philadelphia, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Pinehurst, North Carolina to serve clients in the surrounding areas.