Full Notification

Halloween Traffic Safety Message

Ghosts and goblins are about to invade our street once more, so it is time to ensure we take action to ensure our cars are in condition to allow us to travel in the areas of these little creatures SAFELY.
Across the United States, the number of motor vehicle fatalities rises
30 percent on the average Halloween. This is because Adult party-goers behind the wheel are mingling with trick-or-treaters on sidewalks and streets. This is a deadly combination, and it is critical for both motorists and pedestrians to take extra caution to keep this year’s Halloween celebrations safe. According to the National retail federation, roughly 52 million adults will dress up and celebrate Halloween this year. This translates into a lot of people on the road traveling to and from Halloween parties.

The National Centers for Disease Control and prevention found that 84 percent of pedestrian (children) fatalities occurred at non-intersection on Halloween, suggesting that jaywalking and darting into traffic by children may have caused their death. CDC statistics show that the number of deaths among pedestrian’s ages 5-14 is four times higher on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

Drivers can take actions to reduce their chances of adding to the statistics.
• Drive slowly, and don’t pass stopped vehicles. The driver might be dropping off children.
• Park your mobile phone. Avoid distractions by waiting until you’ve stopped to call, text or surf.
• Watch for children darting into the street. Kids will cross the street anywhere and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.
To keep your own trick-or-treaters Safe
• Communicate with other drivers. Always use your turn signals. And if you have to pull over to drop off or pick up your children, turn on your hazard lights.
• Teach them how to safely cross streets. They should look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks.
• Brighten them up. Give them flashlights and glow sticks, use reflective tape on their costumes, so drivers can see them.

We will have zero tolerance for traffic violations tonight. Woods Cross PD hopes that everyone will take the time to be extra cautious to keep everyone safe this year.