Driving Tips to Keep Neighborhood Streets Safe on Halloween

OKEMOS, Mich. –– Halloween might give some people the jitters, but for parents the most frightening thought that creeps through their minds is whether or not their trick-or-treating kids are safe. There are plenty of trick-or-treating safety tips parents should give their kids on Halloween, but families aren’t the only people who need to follow a few guidelines to prevent hazardous situations from occurring.

It’s also important for drivers to follow a few road rules to keep neighborhoods safe on this ghostly night. If you’re planning on getting behind the wheel on Oct. 31, follow these driving tips to keep neighborhood streets safe on Halloween night.

If possible, avoid driving in residential areas.

From a driver’s perspective, kids are difficult to spot on Halloween as they trick-or-treat from door-to-door and haphazardly sprint across streets. For some, driving on Halloween is inevitable, but unless you truly have some place to be we recommend not driving on residential streets during trick-or-treating time frames.

Drive slowly through neighborhoods.

Again, as drivers navigate neighborhoods on Halloween, it can be difficult for them to see kids who are out trick-or-treating. The safest way to drive through a neighborhood on Halloween is to drive slowly. Maintaining low speeds will give you time to become aware of your surroundings, and could give you that extra second you need to stop for a group of jaywalking kids.

Shine your brights on dark streets.

Shining your brights while driving on dark streets is another way you can keep neighborhoods safe on Halloween. It’s already difficult to see kids in dark costumes trick-or-treating along even on well-lit streets, so you can imagine how much more difficult it would be to see them on streets where the only sources of light are candles inside pumpkins. Shining your brights while in driving these areas will provide a much broader illuminated scope and give you better awareness.

Come to a full stop at stop signs.

We all need to admit we sometimes roll through a stop sign, though we don’t condone it. However, on Halloween you should seriously follow the law and come to complete stops at stop signs. Rolling through stop signs prevents you from thoroughly checking your surroundings. Coming to complete stops will give you time to look for kids crossing the street to continue their trick-or-treating.

Yield at all intersections.

Even if an intersection doesn’t require you to stop or yield, we recommend that drivers still reduce their speed and allow themselves ample time to scout their surroundings. Kids are hyped up about trick-or-treating on Halloween and tend not to observe the same pedestrian guidelines they normally would, such as stopping at intersections to look for cars. As an adult and a driver, it’s your job to secure kids’ and your own safety by staying aware, even when there aren’t any signs telling you to.

Driving on Halloween night is risky. Kids are out trick-or-treating and more than likely aren't paying attention to a set of headlights coming towards them from a block away. If you have to head out for a personal reason on Oct. 31, follow these driving tips to keep neighborhood streets safe on Halloween. 

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