Candy and Car Accidents: Halloween Safety
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on October 16, 2023
Halloween is a day filled with sweet treats, funny tricks, and all the things that give you the creeps. Watching a scary movie or finding your way through a haunted house, this might be a welcome feeling, but when it comes to sending our children out to get candy from neighbors on a trick-or-treat trail, we want them to be safe. From killer clows to tampered candy, what’s the biggest safety issue on Halloween?
It might not be a surprise to hear that neither Snickers bars nor clowns are the main cause of concern – it’s cars. There is an increased risk of a car accidents with so many pedestrians roaming the streets of neighborhoods and roads so late at night, sometimes in dark-colored costumes. Whether you wreck trying to avoid a trick-or-treater that darts out in front of you or you have a collision with someone coming back from a Halloween party, Cooper and Friedman are your local Louisville car accident lawyers to trust.
Why Do We Fear Candy Instead of Cars?
If cars are such a big contributor to injury and death on Halloween, why aren’t we more afraid of them than tampered candy? Since we are exposed to cars and car accidents every day, we might be more desensitized to the danger. After all, Halloween is one of few days out of the year where our children are receiving candy from strangers, and this myth has been blown out of proportion in the past.
The 80s in particular brought hysteria to the public by exaggerated stories shared to the media, from big names such as The New York Times publishing articles warning parents about candy tampering to local newspaper ask columns of people sharing fabricated experiences. There are only eight events in history that have raised alarm for candy tampering, and when compared to both the daily statistics for car accidents, as well as the spike in car accidents on Halloween, it shouldn’t be a concern at all!
According to a study conducted by USA Today, from 2011 to 2020, more child pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes that happened on Halloween than on any other date – up to 2x as likely than any other night, and 40-60% of those accidents involved a drunk driver.
Children are more at risk because:
- They are small and not always visible from the driver’s seat
- They can act unpredictably and are more distracted on Halloween than normal nights
- Their costumes can make them less visible to others as well as obscure their peripheral with masks and collars
Pedestrians can stay safe by:
- Having an adult with children at all times while out trick-or-treating
- Choosing “trunk-or-treat” events held in stationary parking lots or other locations away from traffic
- Making costumes brightly-colored or with a visibility band included
- Remaining aware of surroundings at all times
- Returning home once it gets dark before everyone else does to avoid having to walk during a spike in motor vehicle activity
Involved in a Car Accident? Call Cooper and Friedman
Halloween is a fun and creative holiday, but we cannot control the roads! Just as we are careful as pedestrians, we also need to stay vigilant as drivers, as we do not know other drivers’ situations. However, if you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in the State of Kentucky and are in need of an experienced car accident attorney, give the lawyers at the Cooper & Friedman law firm a call at 502-459-7555. The attorneys at Cooper and Friedman PLLC have over 50 years of combined experience defending the rights of Kentucky motor vehicle victims, both pedestrians and drivers. Contact us with questions you might have or schedule a free case consultation with an attorney by calling us today.