Throughout the Halloween and October bank holiday period, children are often out and about enjoying the Halloween festivities, so it’s important to take precautions when you’re driving during this period to ensure safety on the roads.
In this article, we will guide you through some tips to ensure a fun and safe Halloween for all trick-or-treaters.
Slow down when driving in residential areas
When driving in a residential area during the Halloween period, you should slow down so you can quickly stop your car when necessary. Most residential areas have a 30km/h speed limit, however, during the Halloween period it’s advisable to drive slower than this as it’s likely that there will be lots of children around, so you will need to be prepared to stop your car at all times in case they run out on the road in front of your car. In residential areas, you should watch out for children walking on roads and footpaths and give them plenty of time to cross the road.
When pulling into or out of your house, you should enter and exit your driveway slowly, making sure that you check for people walking on the footpath or coming out from between parked cars or from behind bushes or hedges.
Be aware of children in dark coloured costumes
Children will often dress up in dark coloured costumes when trick-or-treating, making it difficult to see them. It’s important to be mindful of this when you’re driving at Halloween. You should pay close attention to the roads and footpaths for children dressed in dark costumes so you can observe whether they are near a crossing and assess whether you need to stop to let them cross the road.
Don’t overestimate a child’s judgement
The excitement of Halloween may cause children to forget to ‘stop, look and listen’. So, it’s important that you don’t assume that they will stop and check for cars on the road when they come to a crossing. You should exercise caution when there are children close to a crossing, drive slowly and be prepared to stop to let them cross the road. Children often have difficulty judging distance and speed, so you should give them plenty of time to cross a road so they don’t rush and end up tripping up or having an accident.
A child’s Halloween costume may impair their sight or hearing, especially if they are wearing a mask which could obscure their ability to see or hear a car on the road. So, it’s important that you are conscious that a child may not see or hear your car.
Keep a safe distance between you and the car in front
Always keep a safe distance between you and the car in front to ensure that you can successfully stop your car in the event that the car in front needs to brake suddenly. Keeping this distance should help you to avoid having a car accident.
Don’t get distracted by fireworks
If you’re driving throughout the Halloween period you may come across a fireworks display and while they can look beautiful in the sky, it’s important that you don’t get distracted by them when you’re driving. Remember, always keep your eyes on the road!
Be aware of driver fatigue
If you’re the designated driver home from a Halloween party, it’s important to ensure that you don’t succumb to driver fatigue. Check out the RSA’s advice for tired drivers.
According to the RSA, studies show that fatigue is associated with an increased risk of having an accident. So, if you find that you feel tired when driving, it’s important to follow the RSA’s advice for tired drivers so you can complete your journey safely.
Never drink and drive
You should never get behind the wheel when you’ve been drinking alcohol, so if you’re at a Halloween party and are drinking alcohol, you should arrange to get a lift or taxi home or take public transport. Visit drinkaware.ie for more information on drink driving limits and penalties.
