Watch For Trick Or Treaters And Avoid A New Haven Pedestrian Accident

Tonight is the night when all the ghouls and goblins will be out roaming the streets of the city of New Haven asking for their favorite candy bar from their neighbors. It is exciting for kids and neighbors alike and we want to make sure it stays that way. It is important that you have a clear understanding about how to take action when you are driving through neighborhoods to avoid getting into a New Haven pedestrian accident and making this spooktackular evening even scarier for kids and parents.

Ever since the global COVID-19 pandemic pedestrian accidents have been on the rise here in the state of Connecticut. As state and city officials start to take action to address the issue, it is also important that all of us who share the road take action as well. If we are not being proactive to address the issue head on then we may wind up as one of the statistics and cause some significant injuries to our neighbors who we are sharing the road with.

Halloween night is one of the most dangerous nights for drivers to be out on the road. It is dangerous because of normal traffic volume, but then add on top of that the costumed children who are too excited to look both ways before they cross the street as they weave from house to house to get the best candy they can get for this one night only. These kids will be jutting out into the middle of the street without a care in the world so it is incumbent upon you to make sure you taking the important steps towards keeping them safe, especially when you know they may not be as attentive to the world around them during this one particular night.

The good news is that there are quite a few steps you can take to make sure you are not adding to the problem. While you can’t control what the kids might do when they are out trick or treating, you can control what you are doing when you’re driving to make sure that you are not caught off guard by the little ones in the road. Here are some steps you can take to make sure you are keenly aware of your surroundings and can help avoid an accident.

1.) Get off the roads by 5p if you can. It may be difficult given you’re getting out of work and battling traffic to get home, but if it is at all possible for you to leave work early and get to your home before 5p you will greatly reducing your risks of getting into an accident with a trick or treater. Believe it or not, many of the youngest children who are out going door to door looking for candy may be out as early as 5p and if you can be off the road by then you will be safely at home allowing these kids to run through the streets without a care in the world.

2,) Go slow. If you have to be on the road after 5p you will want to make sure you are taking it slower than normal. Even if you are obeying the posted speed limits, on this night you may want to slow down even further. This is especially true if you are driving through a heavily populated area where there are likely to be more kids weaving in and out of yards to get their candy. While it may be frustrating to you to have to take a little extra time to get home on a day that is in the middle of the week and doesn’t really impact your life, it will most certainly go a long way in keeping these kids safe.

3.) Even if you like to look at the costumes, don’t let them distract you. You may be tempted while you’re driving along to look around at all of the Halloween decorations that are draped across yards throughout the city and then you might get distracted by checking out a particularly good costume. Keep your eyes on the road. Under normal circumstances you would not let yourself get distracted and this is especially true when you are driving during Halloween. If you keep your eyes on the road you will be taking it upon yourself to make sure you are driving safely and you won’t be putting anyone at risk unnecessarily.

Halloween is a fun night and if you’re safely at home before the trick or treating happens you will likely get a glimpse of some great costumes and have a little fun with your neighborhood kids. If you are still on the road when trick or treating starts make sure you are focused on the road in front of you and you are keeping your speed low so you do not wind up being involved in a devastating New Haven pedestrian accident. That is NOT the trick you were thinking about when you had this holiday in mind.

All of us here at the Loricco Law Firm want to wish everyone a safe and fun Halloween night. Make sure you stay safe and save us a peanut butter cup!