SAFETY TIPS: A spooky time of year for pedestrians, motorists

With Halloween here, it’s a spooky time of year. For an enjoyable and safe Halloween, it’s important to be aware of all the dangers surrounding the holiday. And perhaps the No. 1 safety concern for trick-or-treaters is traffic.

It’s difficult for drivers to see children in dark costumes, and young ghouls and goblins can also have their own vision obscured by masks.

Plus, drinking and increased pedestrian traffic on Halloween night has historically been a dangerous combination, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For example, on Halloween night in 2012, 54 people were killed and nearly half of those deaths involved a crash with a drunk driver. That compares to about one-third on an average day. And about 28 of Halloween crash fatalities were pedestrians, compared to 14 percent on an average day. In a five-year span to 2012, 21 percent of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween night involved a drunk driver.

In all cases, it’s important for children and adults to be extra cautious while out and about on Halloween night. Chain | Cohn | Clark reminds you to stay safe, and be sure to follow the following tips:

MOTORISTS

• Use caution while behind the wheel:
  • Slow down and be alert in residential areas.
  • Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
  • And eliminate distractions so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

• Drive sober or get pulled over:
  • Always designate a sober driver and plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night if you plan on celebrating Halloween with alcohol. Use your community’s sober ride program or take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement. And if you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.

PEDESTRIANS

• Make sure everyone in your foot traffic party is walking safely and using sidewalks whenever possible. Look both ways to cross the street, and be extra aware of cars parking on the street or backing out of driveways.
• Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
• Help keep kids safe:
  • Children out at night should have adult supervision.
  • Kids should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.
  • Choose face paint when possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.
  • Decorate costumes with reflective tape and have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights.
  • And always cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks, and look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.

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If you or someone you know is injured in a pedestrian or car accident, contact the attorneys at Chain | Cohn | Clark at 661-323-4000, or visit the law firm’s website at chainlaw.com.