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Why is Halloween a scary time for pedestrians?

On Behalf of | Oct 25, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

If you have small children, they are probably excited about Halloween. Dressing up and wandering the neighborhood in search of sweets is fun when you are little. Yet, as a parent, you should be scared.

It is not the guy in a Freddy Krueger costume that you should be afraid of. It is the people at the wheels of cars. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a report that the hours between 5 pm and midnight on Halloween are 43% more dangerous for pedestrians than the same time slot a week before and a week after. The researchers examined 42 years of data to come up with some chilling statistics.

What makes Halloween dangerous?

Drivers can change on Halloween. They don’t suddenly turn into werewolves, but they could turn into these more dangerous things:

  • Drunk drivers: There are many parties at Halloween, and there is a high chance that some attendees drink alcohol before driving home.
  • Visually impaired drivers: Wearing a gory or theatrical mask may look great at a Halloween party, but it significantly reduces vision if the person does not remove it before driving.
  • Distracted drivers: With so much street life happening, drivers may forget to focus on the road.

Driving on Halloween is not easy. There is increased traffic, and the dark can make it harder to see pedestrians. Excited kids may be less cautious than usual and may also be wearing masks that make it harder to see if it is safe to cross the road. Yet, anyone who drives on Halloween should know this and must reduce their speed and take more caution to account for it. If a driver injures your child this Halloween, holding them responsible will be crucial to ensure the future is not a nightmare.