DON’T LET THIS OCTOBER 31ST BECOME A HOLIDAY NIGHTMARE!
HELP PREVENT PEDESTRIAN HORRORS THIS HALLOWEEN
For even the most cautious motorists, the scariest part of Halloween can be an unexpected street corner encounter with little kids dressed all in dark colored clothes. The thought of children darting at dusk across city streets and country crossroads is frightening for most drivers rushing home from work with the day’s distractions still on their minds.
“Unfortunately, many parents and children don’t realize it, but Halloween is the one night of the year when many kids in costumes dress up in the equivalent of Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility,” says Director Bob Dallas of the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). “This can prove very dangerous, when drivers can’t see these kids because of their dark colored costumes, and the kids can’t see the cars because their costumes are covering their eyes.”
But while our excited youngsters may be temporarily oblivious to the safety rules of the road, Georgia drivers must remain extra vigilant behind the wheel. “As adult drivers it’s our responsibility to remember that on this special night most kids have only one thing on their minds and it’s Trick-or-Treat,” says GOHS Director Dallas.
Many parents are shocked to learn that out of the shadows, the hazards of Halloween have a real-life history of victimizing our kids in costumes:
* The number of deaths among young pedestrians, ages five-to-fourteen, is four times higher on Halloween evening than any other evening of the year-- The CDC says so.
* NHTSA reports show fatal crashes between motor vehicles and young pedestrians under 15-years-of-age happen most frequently between 4-and-8p.m. – prime Trick-or-Treating hours.
* Children are most likely to dart out from mid-block into the street, that’s where USDOT studies show 84% of deaths among young pedestrians occurred at non-intersection locations on Halloween.
Director Dallas urges parents and caregivers to check costumes for bright colors before young ghosts and goblins ever leave the house, to make sure they’re easily visible to motorists. Flashlights, glow sticks and reflective tape strips will help. Then for safety’s sake, parents should accompany young Trick-Or-Treaters on their neighborhood treks and hold their hands when crossing streets-- especially children under ten.
Here are some more Traffic Safety “Tricks” for Parents:
* Use makeup, rather than masks, so children have clear, unobstructed views of their surroundings.
* Encourage older children to travel in groups. “There’s traffic safety in numbers.”
* Be sure children know how to cross a street: Look left, right, and left again before crossing.
* Carry a cell phone for emergency situations.
* Instruct children to cross only at corners or crosswalks.
* Stay on sidewalks where possible. Police say walk against traffic where there are no sidewalks. This allows pedestrians to take evasive action sooner if they think an oncoming vehicle is getting too close.
* Did we mention, accompany your children as they trick or treat?
And these are the Traffic Safety “Tricks” for Drivers:
* Remember it’s Halloween! Drive well below the posted speed limit.
* Don't use cell phones while driving through neighborhoods. A single distraction could be tragic.
* Watch for children darting across streets, especially between parked cars.
* Be extra alert when pulling in and out of driveways.
* Do not pass other vehicles stopped in the roadway. They could be dropping off children.
Typical Halloween activities place children at greater risk. What’s worse is that kids are out Trick-or-Treating the same night when many adults may be out drinking and driving after attending their local Halloween beer bash. In recent years Georgians who drive drunk have transformed Halloween into one of our most dangerous and deadly holidays due to alcohol-related crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says two-thirds of all fatal Halloween crashes are now alcohol-related.
“That’s why starting this past weekend, cops all across the state have been teaming-up to conduct road-checks and concentrated patrols to get drunk drivers off our roads leading up to Halloween, says Director Dallas. “These continuing high-visibility crack-downs will help keep your kids safe in your neighborhood and keep your Halloween party-plans from dissolving into nightmares.”
Georgia crash statistics show three people were killed and ten others suffered serious injuries last year, just on Halloween. More than three hundred others suffered injuries as a result of 1,069 crashes in Georgia on Halloween 2006.
The previous year, five people died in Halloween crashes and 22 were seriously injured. More than 400 people suffered injuries as a result of 1,005 crashes in Georgia in 2005.
“Many parents have been lulled into thinking Halloween is still meant just for kids, candy and costume parties. But we’re not talking kids’-stuff anymore,” says GOHS Director Dallas. That’s why most law enforcement agencies will have added high visibility patrols during the Halloween holiday to promote increased safety.”
Additional information provided by PEDS , Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety
GOHS is proud of its association with PEDS and their many great programs for the citizens of the state. Recently, GOHS Director Bob Dallas was honored with a Golden Shoe Award for the agency's partnership with PEDS on pedestrian safety. GOHS looks forward to future work with PEDS to continue to save lives on the sidewalks and streets of Georgia.
 
The Dallas family with Sally Flocks and Sally Sears at the 2007 Golden Shoe Awards........
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