It’s a well known fact that children are more at risk walking on Halloween than any other day of the year. There are a few quick and easy tips to make Halloween fun and safe for children and parents. Here are a few tips from the Pedestrian and Bicycling Information Center (www.walkinginfo.org):
Choose the safest routes to walk.
• Pick places where there are sidewalks or paths separated from traffic if possible.
• Look for well-lit streets with slow traffic.
• Remind children to watch for cars turning or pulling out of driveways.
Review crossing safety rules with children. Tell them to:
• Even when adults are looking, always look for cars for yourself.
• Stop at the curb and look left, right and left again for traffic.
• Wait until no traffic is coming and begin crossing. Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.
• When crossing the street at an intersection, obey traffic signs and signals and look for yourself to see if cars are coming. Look left, right and left and then behind you and in front of you for turning cars.
• Walk, don’t run across the street.
Think visibility. Wear bright colors, use retro reflective materials. Carry flashlights. In bad weather, visibility is even more important.
Plan how to cross streets :
• Avoid busy, high-speed or multi-lane roads.
• Give children exiting the street room to enter the sidewalk area.
Remember children are not miniature adults .
• They often act before thinking.
• They have one-third narrower side vision.
• They can’t judge speed.
• They are shorter than adults and can’t see over cars and bushes.
Make sure the children understand what is expected of them. Have a plan for dealing with disruptive kids.
Happy and Safe Halloween from the Rideshare Team!
