To Prevent Washington Pedestrian Accidents, Set Halloween “Ground Rules” with Trick-or-Treaters

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on October 25, 2012

Trick-or-treating is a Halloween tradition in communities across Washington. Kids of all ages love donning colorful costumes and going door-to-door to collect candy and treats. Trick-or-treating carries with it an increased risk of accidents between pedestrians and cars, however, especially when it takes place after dark.

Children are at a higher risk for pedestrian accidents during Halloween than adults for several reasons. First, children are often smaller and harder to see, especially if they are wearing dark costumes. Second, kids don’t always understand the risks of stepping out into the street; they will often dart out from between parked cars or try to cross in the middle of the road instead of at a crosswalk, not realizing that drivers might not see them. Children are also less experienced than adults at judging the distance between themselves and an oncoming vehicle or predicting a driver’s behavior.

To help protect your kids from the risk of pedestrian accidents this Halloween, make sure that costumes are light-colored or adorned with reflective tape, and give each child a flashlight. Give kids “ground rules” for trick-or-treating, like:

• Only walk on the sidewalk, or on the left-hand side of the road (facing traffic) if there is no sidewalk.
• Only cross the street at a crosswalk. If there is a “walk” sign at the crosswalk, wait for it to signal “walk” before crossing.
• Always look both ways before crossing the street.

When a car hits an unprotected pedestrian, the latter may be seriously injured. At Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S., our vigilant Washington child pedestrian accident attorneys are dedicated to helping those who are injured in a car accident. For a free consultation, call us today at (888) 228-3860.