Tips to Keep Texas Teen Drivers and Trick-or-Treaters Safe This Halloween

Posted by on Wednesday, October 30th, 2019 in Driving Tips

This week is when Texas kids hit the streets in search of their favorite Halloween treats. While Halloween is supposed to be about spooky fun, inexperienced teen drivers and children in costumes during evening hours has proven to be deadly. The National Safety Council reports “kids are twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween as on any other day of the year.

 

Research has shown the risk of a car crash goes up dramatically at night, and most crashes occur between 9 p.m. and midnight. Parents should not allow new and inexperienced drivers (teens who have held their Texas Provisional License for less than 6 months) to drive on Halloween night or to Halloween parties and festivities. Inexperienced teen drivers should avoid driving during trick-or-treating times in their area.  The following are safety tips all Texas Teen Drivers should follow:

Online Driving Professor’s Halloween Safety Tips for Texas Teen Drivers

 

  • Eliminate Impaired Driving: Impaired driving not only includes alcohol or drug use, but also being distracted, tired, or overly emotional. Drunk-driving incidents increase on Halloween. The NHTSA reports that 42% of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night, (from 2013 to 2017) involved drunk driving.
  • Watch for Dark Costumes: At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing, Children and adults can wear dark clothing, making it hard to see them. Practice defensive driving when behind the wheel, and always drive very slowly in residential areas.
  • Expect the Unexpected: Kids can dart out from between parked cars. Always use your turn signals, even if you’re in your own neighborhood or close to home. People may be difficult to spot or moving quickly through the streets. Always yield to pedestrians. If you see one child, there are likely more ready to cross the street.
  • Drive Slowly: If you have to drive on Halloween drive slowly in and around neighborhoods and on residential streets. Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
  • Prepare Yourself: If you’re driving children around for trick-or-treating, make sure they’re buckled up appropriately in a child car seat. Pull over at safe locations to let children exit at the curb and away from traffic, and use your hazard lights to alert drivers of your car and that children are exiting.
  • Pay Attention: Halloween brings a lot of people out for a night of trick-or-treating, so watch for them crossing the street. Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. Keep your eyes open for large objects in roads, like pumpkins, and flashing lights. Don’t let elaborate Halloween lights and displays distract you while driving. Keep your eyes on the road.
  • Park in Garages or Lighted Areas: If you’re attending a Halloween party in an unfamiliar neighborhood, ask the host for safe places to park. Always remove valuables from your car to deter thieves from wanting to break into your car. If you only have access to street parking, park near street lamps as lighted areas deter anyone wanting to break into cars.

 

Online Driving Professor’s Halloween Safety Tips for Pedestrians

 

Pedestrians need to be extra aware on Halloween. On what other night in Texas is everybody out walking around the streets? Kids are excited and not paying attention to drivers. It’s important to put cell phones away, keep your head up, and walk, don’t run, across the streets. Trick-or-Treaters should walk with an adult, and cross at crosswalks whenever possible. Teach children to make eye contact with a driver before crossing, and to hold a flash light for improved visibility while walking.

 

 

  • Make Costumes Visible: Parents and children should consider choosing costumes that are lighter in color, which make it easier for drivers to see them. Adding reflective material to the front and back makes a costume easier to see at night. Avoid dark costumes that make it difficult for a child to see, especially ones that include masks. If a mask is necessary, kids may want to remove it when moving between houses to see well.
  • Be Visible to Drivers: Add glow sticks to your group’s outfits and bring a flashlight with you so motorists can see you in the dark when crossing streets and as you walk past driveways. Go trick-or-treating before it is truly dark, especially with young children
  • Safely Cross Streets:  Use crosswalks, traffic signals and street corners when crossing roads. Don’t cross the street between parked cars, as this makes it difficult for drivers to see you. Remember to look left and right to check for cars before stepping off the curb. Pedestrians shouldn’t assume they have the right of way, because drivers may not see them. Children should walk—not run—from house to house. Parents should remind children to look for cars when crossing driveways. Children should stay on sidewalks instead of walking between cars or on lawns, where there could be tripping hazards.
  • Avoid Distracted Walking: Put cell phones and other electronic devices away and pay attention to drivers on the road.
  • Children and Parents: Parents should accompany and supervise children trick-or-treating who are 12 years and younger.
  • Discuss Route with Parents: If teens are trick-or-treating on their own, they should talk to their parents about the neighborhood streets they’ll be visiting, and agree on a time to return home.

 

Harvest Festivals, Hay Rides, Trick or Treating, and Halloween Costume Parties –  no matter what your Halloween plans include, Online Driving Professor hopes every Texas Teen takes time to plan for safe driving arrangements and remember to slow down and watch for heavy pedestrian traffic.

 

Online Driving  Professor Wishes You a HAPPY and SAFE HALLOWEEN!

 

If you or your teen are looking for a TDLR-approved, high quality Texas Teen Driver Education Course that allows teens to quickly and easily earn a Texas Learner License and Texas Provisional License, check out Online Driving Professor’s online teen driver education courses here. They are highly rated by parents and teens!