According to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), today is the deadliest night of the entire year for pedestrians. More fatal accidents involving pedestrians and cars occur on October 31 than any other night of the year.
“Whether walking or driving, AAA urges all road users to utilize extra caution, be mindful of their surroundings and celebrate responsibility,” said a spokesman from the auto club.
To stay safe on a night well-known for fatal accidents, AAA offers these safety tips for everyone out on the streets this evening.
If you are driving:
- Try to avoid neighborhoods and side streets. Baring that, keep your eyes out for children. If driving on side streets, watch very carefully for children. It may be difficult to see kids that are wearing dark costumes and excited trick-or-treaters often dart between parked cars from house to house.
- Drive slowly. Even on streets where the speed limit is 25 mph or 35 mph, slow down to 10 miles per hour or less. A pedestrian is twice as likely to be killed if they are hit by a car traveling 35 mph (as opposed to 25 mph), according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
- Use a seatbelt. When driving your kids from neighborhood to neighborhood, make sure everyone is properly buckled up.
If you are walking, be sure to accompany young trick-or-treaters. Remind them to stop at the end of each driveway to check for cars and to not dart across the street. They should remain on one side of the street, cross the road and then go to all of the houses on the other side of the street.
Source: ABC15.com, “Halloween is the deadliest night for pedestrians,” 10/25/11.