Stay Safe This Halloween: Child Pedestrian Tips

It's no surprise that more kids are injured in auto-pedestrian accidents on Halloween than on any other night of the year.

All car-vs-pedestrian accidents are preventable, so make sure your children stay safe by following a few simple Halloween safety tips.

For those who have to drive on Halloween night, be sure stay way below the posted speed limit (especially in residential areas) and keep your head on a swivel. It is your legal duty to drive to conditions, and 30 miles per hour is not a reasonable speed on Halloween.

If parked cars are lining the street, try and stay toward the middle of the road if at all possible to give a buffer zone. Keep your foot on the brake, and watch very closely for children who might be entering the street from between the parked cars, as this is a very common scenario.

No matter who may technically be at fault, you do NOT want to be involved in an auto-pedestrian accident involving a small child.

Safety tips for those with young trick-or-treaters.

• Pick a safe costume. Avoid a costume that blocks a child's peripheral vision (such as a mask with small eye holes), a costume that is difficult to see in the dark (such as an all-black robe), or a costume that you could trip on (like a long skirt). All three choices could increase your child's risk of injury.

• Don't plan a route that zigzags across streets. Instead, pick a route in which street crossing is kept to a minimum. Try trick-or-treating down the side of one street, crossing at a crosswalk, and then making your way back on the other side of the street.

• Make sure cars can see you. Carry flashlights, wear reflectors, get glow sticks, and/or make sure your costume is bright. It's important to look out for cars, but it's even better if they can see you as well.

• Pick a safe neighborhood. If your neighborhood has heavy traffic, a lack of street lights, no sidewalks, or homes that are too far apart, consider driving to a different neighborhood for trick-or-treating.

• Remember that there is safety in numbers. Never go trick-or-treating alone. If more kids go together, they will be safer and easier to see.

• Supervise your child's trick-or-treating. Younger children will always be safer if there is an adult to help them plan their route, cross the street, and stay in safe neighborhoods.

• Don't forget basic pedestrian safety rules. It might be a holiday, but the rules for crossing the street stay the same: look both ways, use crosswalks, and never run across the street.

Our law firm represents pedestrians injured by negligent drivers, and we will go after every penny the victim deserves. You don't want to find yourself facing our attorneys in a courtroom. If you don't need to be on the road that night, stay home; don't take a chance. Stay safe out there, and have a happy Halloween!