Halloween is the one night a year when children are given the opportunity to dress up as their favorite characters and roam about the neighborhood collecting candy and treats from friends and other friendly folks. As the hurdles of children run from door to door and street to street, it’s important to stay conscious of your surroundings and ensure everyone is staying clear of any moving vehicles.
Costumes, especially darker ones, can make your children hard to spot from behind the wheel of a car, even with headlights and street lamps. In order to keep everyone safe and sound from a pedestrian accident this fall holiday season, Byrd Davis Alden & Henrichson, LLP has put together a guide on how to keep your kids safe while they gather up as much candy as they possibly can.
3 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe From Pedestrian Accidents This Halloween
Pedestrian accidents, even when they occur inside neighborhoods with low speed limits, can take a toll on victims. Even a seemingly small accident can result in severe injuries. In order to best avoid this and keep your children out of the path of reckless drivers, consider utilizing the three following tips:
Reflective Gear and Lights
One of the easiest ways to ensure your child is easily spotted in the crowd of costumes and on the dark sidewalks and roads is to incorporate lights or reflective gear into their costume. For example, many candy buckets include a light-up or flashing light aspect. Other ways to easily incorporate light into your child’s costume include glow sticks, glow necklaces, light-up sneakers, or even a small flashlight.
Reflective clothing or keychains can also be used to easily make your child visible to any driver on the street.
The Buddy System
A good way to protect your child in general is to educate them on the importance of staying with their friend group. The buddy system means your child and their friends never split into individual groups and are always around to help each other get safely across the street and from house to house while trick-or-treating. A large group of five to six children is a lot easier to spot than one child running across the street alone. This helps better protect them when drivers are out and about throughout the night.
Trunk-Or-Treat
To fully guarantee your children are out of harm’s way when it comes to the risk of pedestrian accidents, you can find an alternative to trick or treating that fully excludes any streets or potentially dangerous environments. There are many different options now for candy-seeking children on Halloween, with one of the most popular options being Trunk-or-Treat.
This community event sees many different people coming together and parking their cars in a safe, well-lit destination. Trunks are opened and used as stations where children can come by and safely trick-or-treat with their friends and family without having to navigate active streets with drivers.
Has Your Child Been Injured in a Pedestrian Accident? Consult Our Team Today
Even the safest child can fall victim to the reckless actions of a negligent driver on Halloween. If this has happened to you or your child, you are owed damages for the accident, and the team of compassionate and knowledgeable lawyers at Byrd Davis Alden & Henrichson, LLP can help.
As the oldest and one of the most respected personal injury firms in Austin, Texas, we can help your family file your claim and recover a worthy settlement while you focus on the recovery process. To start the process today with a distinguished attorney, please schedule a free consultation by using our contact form or calling (512) 454-3751.
