The scariest thing about trick or treating isn’t any of the fearmongering over tainted candy. Nor should anyone be particularly scared of the costumes or the images associated with Halloween. However, crossing the road on Halloween can be highly stressful.
According to a study, every single year, pedestrian accidents and fatalities spike on Halloween. These accidents leave families who had hoped for a fun, spooky evening reeling from losses they never expected.
So, what causes these accidents?
The causes of this uptick in accidents are fairly obvious when you look at the circumstances:
- The increase in pedestrians: More people are walking about on Halloween than normal. They are of every age and, often, too young to understand the rules of crossing.
- Time of day: the study indicates that 6 PM is when the most accidents occur, which is also when visibility conditions are at their worst.
- Costumes: People in costumes may be bright-colored superheroes or darkly-colored ghouls, dark costumes, coupled with poor visibility conditions, are a bad combination
This is a fear that parents of likely trick-or-treaters must consider.
How can parents protect their kids?
The best way to protect your children from a Halloween accident is to take action. For younger kids, you – or someone you trust – should be with them at every crossing, every house. For older kids, you may want to ensure they understand the rules of crossing and how to verify it is safe. You may want to enforce brightly colored costumes or reflective clothes for visibility.
However, if you or someone you love is struck by a driver this Halloween despite all your precautions, you have options to pursue recovery.
