Keep Halloween Sweet and Safe
Halloween is a popular holiday that lets people indulge their sweet tooth and explore their scary side! Kids and adults alike can enjoy dressing up as their favorite literary character, superhero, or historical figure. And it’s all for a great cause–candy! But just like any other holiday, Halloween has its own unique safety challenges.
Halloween is primarily “for the kids,” so keeping little ones safe is essential. As you might expect, there are more children out and about on Halloween than on any other day. On top of that, young children can get excited, distracted, and even scared, causing them to take risky actions, like darting into the street. Luckily, knowing Halloween’s specific safety risks can make all the difference.
Halloween Safety Statistics
The biggest threat to a child’s safety on Halloween is a vehicle. Not only are more children and younger children out on Halloween than any other day, but many young adults also attend holiday parties. Unfortunately, this leads to a spike in distracted and intoxicated driving–a deadly combination for both drivers and trick-or-treating youngsters. One study showed that 14% of Halloween pedestrian deaths involve drunk driving.
State Farm Insurance and BestPlaces teamed up to research and understand Halloween safety statistics and discovered the following:
- Children are more than twice as likely to die in a pedestrian accident on Halloween than on any other day of the year
- 6 pm – 7 pm is referred to as the “deadliest hour” on Halloween, with nearly ¼ of accidents occurring at this time
- 60% of pedestrian accidents occurred between 5 pm and 9 pm
- Young drivers aged 15 to 25 pose the greatest risk to child pedestrians on Halloween
- Children aged 12 to 15 are the ages most at risk on Halloween
It’s no fun to think about accidents and reckless drivers on your child’s favorite holiday. But a little preparation and prevention can go a long way to keep your kids happy and healthy on the spookiest day of the year.
Walking Safety
As much as we all want to think we know how to walk the streets safely, the truth is, we don’t walk as much as we used to! Plus, Halloween is unlike any other day of the year. There are more pedestrians and groups of young children, not to mention inexperienced drivers going to and from parties.
When walking around your neighborhood, you can do the following to maximize safety:
- Teach your kids never to cross between parked cars – you never know when an automobile might suddenly reverse or pull forward
- Even at a stop sign or crosswalk, teach your kids how to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them
- Put electronic devices down or away when walking; never walk with them in hand or take photos or videos while walking
- Stick to sidewalks and paths and if none are available, walk toward traffic as far to the side as possible
- If children are under 12, join them on the excursion and enjoy the fun!
Costume Safety
Next to the candy, the outfits are the best part! With a little extra planning, you can adjust their wardrobes to enhance their safety and send them off with peace of mind.
Make their costumes street-friendly by:
- Making sure costumes are the right size so excess material or length doesn’t cause a tumble
- Having fun with face paint and makeup whenever possible – masks can obstruct their view in an unsafe way
- Keeping with light-colored costumes if possible and decorating costumes and candy bags with reflective tape or stickers
- Giving them flashlights and glow sticks so they can see and be seen
Driving Safety
If you’re getting behind the wheel this Halloween, prepare to be extra patient and cautious. Don’t rush, don’t get distracted, and don’t assume pedestrians will observe the rules of the road.
Safe driving on Halloween means:
- Ignoring your phone more than ever–even glancing at it for a few seconds can prove deadly on Halloween
- Using your headlights earlier than you usually would
- Being especially alert between 5 pm and 9 pm, prime trick-or-treating hours
- Keeping your eyes peeled for kids at intersections, medians, and curbs
- Taking extra care when exiting alleys, driveways, and parking lot exits
With a bit of extra preparation and planning, you can hit the streets with confidence, knowing you and your kids are practicing proper Halloween safety. After all, the creepy ghouls and goblins should be the scariest thing that happens this All Hallows Eve!
Premise Liability and Halloween
Unfortunately, not every property and home is safe. Every year, children are injured while trick-or-treating as a result of slip-and-fall accidents, dog bites, or unsafe conditions like defective stairs, trenches and holes in the yard, and more.
If your child is injured on someone else’s property while trick-or-treating, the homeowner may be liable. Call us today to discuss whether you might have a premise liability case.
Our Lawyers Work On Pedestrian & Premise Injury Accidents
GreeningLaw, P.C. is ready to fight for justice for your loved one if they were injured in an accident. As one of Texas’s most recognized personal injury law firms, we have the experience and expertise to hold the negligent party accountable. At GreeningLaw, we treat each case with the same dedication we would extend to our own family, bringing everything in our power to bear to ensure that our clients get the compensation they deserve.
Contact us 24/7 to schedule a free consultation. In that consultation, we will ask about details surrounding your case, discuss possible compensation you may receive, and suggest the best course of action. And, because our attorneys work on a contingency basis, you don’t pay a dime unless we win your case.