This is a particularly dangerous time for motorists as “On Halloween, your neighborhood literally will be crawling with creatures, and it’s your job to be sure they take their treats home safely. While the roaming ghosts, goblins and assorted critters aren’t real, they do represent legitimate safety concerns for drivers.”
progressive.com have put together a fantastic list with a couple of useful tips to help everyone bring home treats — not tragedies:
| Know when your neighborhood is holding Halloween activities. When the actual holiday falls on a weekday, some neighborhoods may opt to have trick-or-treating on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening. | |
| Don’t use a cell phone while driving through neighborhoods. A single distraction could lead to a tragedy. Pay extra attention to the side of the road while driving. |
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| Stay well below the posted speed limit during trick-or-treating hours. | |
| Do not pass other vehicles that have stopped in the roadway. Other vehicles could be dropping off children. | |
| Be alert when driving through intersections. Children could be crossing the street. |
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| Never assume a pedestrian approaching the roadway will yield to your vehicle. Children may not see your vehicle approaching or might not be familiar with crossing roadways. |
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| Make sure other drivers can see you. If you’re driving a group of children, but you’re staying in the running vehicle at the curb, be sure to put on your hazard lights to alert other motorists. |
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| Make sure other drivers can see the children. Give the children flashlights and glow sticks or use reflective tape on their costumes. These items will help the children make their way in the dark and ensure that drivers see them. |
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| Be sure your children know how to cross a street. Instruct children to look both ways before crossing the street and to cross only at corners or crosswalks. |
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| Take advantage of your community’s Halloween safety programs. Most communities offer Halloween activities for younger children that keep them out of harm’s way. Your community may also offer a service that inspects candy to ensure that it is safe for children to eat. |
