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Halloween is undoubtedly a fun holiday for the whole family. At Viles and Beckman we support any opportunity for families to gather and enjoy fall festivities. But we know that all the Spooky Day excitement brings potential dangers as well. If you or a loved one experiences an injury this Halloween, call our office to find out how we can help.
It’s important to protect the fun of all our trick or treaters by being aware of the potential dangers on Halloween and the best way to protect yourself, your family, and our community so that we can all safely enjoy the spooky activities this Halloween.
Pedestrian Accidents
Accidents between pedestrians and motor vehicles more often occur on Halloween than other nights. This is especially true for child pedestrians. The Child Safety Network notes that Halloween is the deadliest day of the year for child pedestrians. There are more than two times as many child pedestrian deaths on Halloween compared to other days. Even slow driving cars in neighborhoods can cause injuries in a collision. Trucks or SUVs can be especially dangerous as their greater height and size can cause more damage to pedestrians.
No child should be injured while enjoying Halloween festivities. To help protect the children in our community National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests drivers take the following safety precautions:
- Be alert: Drivers should on the lookout for trick-or-treaters and other pedestrians on Halloween.
- Slow down: Driving below the speed limit allows drivers more time to react to pedestrians. Remember: Slower speeds save lives.
- Watch for young trick-or-treaters: Trick-or-treaters may be moving in unexpected places where drivers are not used to seeing pedestrians. Children may be unaware of traffic and dart into the street unexpectedly.
- Report drunk drivers: If you see a drunk driver, contact law enforcement.
While a child’s focus on Halloween may be solely focused on how much candy they can collect, trick-or-treaters and their loved ones need to focus on how to stay safe throughout the holiday. For pedestrians the following safety precautions are recommended:
- Use to buddy system: Before festivities begin, create a “buddy system” to get each other home safety and prevent walking alone
- Use crosswalks and sidewalks: Look for cars in all directions including those turning left or right and where possible stick to paths designated for pedestrians.
- Carry flashlights: Carrying a flashlight or glow stick when trick-or-treating can make a pedestrian more visible to a driver.
- Avoid masks: Avoiding wearing masks that may obstruct vision can help pedestrians spot cars on the road.
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Auto-Accidents
While our community’s children may be looking forward to collecting candy on Halloween night, many adults will be looking forward to parties at the end of October. This year, Halloween night falls on a Thursday, so many will be celebrating the holiday in the days prior to October 31. Whatever day you celebrate the holiday, it’s important to take precautions when driving to and from any Halloween events.
Nearly half the fatalities from auto accidents that occur on Halloween are alcohol related. If you are drinking on Halloween, remember to plan for a designated driver or schedule a ride-share or taxi service. Do not drive if you have been drinking, even small amounts of alcohol can affect one’s driving ability.
On Halloween night there are many potential distractions that can pull a driver’s focus from the road and cause motor vehicle accidents. Festive décor and costumes pose potential distractions. Pedestrians carrying flashlights and glow sticks, along with jack o lanterns, and decorative lights can cause additional distractions to drivers. Halloween parties and trick or treating may lead to drivers navigating unfamiliar areas. It’s important to all drivers to limit distractions whenever possible. Do not use your phone while driving, if you need to use the GPS, pull over to avoid driving while distracted.
Trip and Falls
Behind pedestrian accidents, trip and falls are the second most common cause of injury on Halloween. Many of us will be visiting dozens of unfamiliar houses while trick-or-treating on Halloween. Due to the darkness and many of the houses having holiday décor such as tombstones or pumpkins in the yard and lights or spiderwebs hanging from houses and trees, the holiday can create a number of hazards that children can trip over. This year, many areas here in Florida are celebrating Halloween just a few weeks after being effected by a hurricane. This may result in there being excess debris on the ground this Halloween. It’s important to be extra vigilant this year to avoid these extra tripping hazards that may not have been entirely cleaned yet.
Many who aren’t planning to trick-or-treat are looking forward to spreading the holiday excitement passing out candy for their community. Homeowners who are opening their home to trick-or-treaters have a duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. Before welcoming trick-or-treaters take the following precautions to protect the community and your home:
- Keep house well lit: Lighting can increase trick-or-treaters visibility and prevent tripping.
- Keep walkways clear: Make sure Halloween decorations or shrubbery do not block your driveway, walkway, or sidewalk.
- Keep walkways in good condition: Maintain even walkways leading up to your front door.
Trick-or-treaters are often excited to get to the next house to increase their candy haul at the end of the night, and children will not always take precautions to protect themselves from trip-and-fall injuries. Halloween candy might be able to soothe scrapes or bruises, but a trip-and-fall incident can also lead to more serious injuries including broken bones or concussions. Trick-or-treaters should take precautions to protect against injuries by:
- Carry Flashlights: Carrying flashlights or glow sticks to increase visibility while navigating from house to house on Halloween.
- Don’t wear loose costumes: Avoiding loose or oversized Halloween costumes. Extra fabric around the feet and ankles can cause a tripping hazard.
- Avoid masks: Avoiding masks that limit visibility and may limit the ability to see uneven ground or obstructions in the path that may cause tripping.
- Stay on the sidewalk: Ensure that when moving between houses trick-or-treaters should make sure that they stick to sidewalks and walkways to avoid uneven ground or grass. Make sure that the paths taken between houses are well-lit and avoid cracked or uneven surfaces.
Pay attention: Being alert of your surroundings can help you avoid hazards that can cause an injury.
Click To ContactPumpkin Carving Cuts
For many of us, the excitement of a holiday is in the preparation. Some of us celebrate this year’s spooky season with a fall scented candle and a classic scary movie, while others visit a haunted house. Hundreds of families will visit local pumpkin patches to find the perfect pumpkins to carve into jack-o’-lanterns. While these Halloween staples spread the festive spirit, they can be a hazardous cause of injury. Nearly half of all ER injuries treated on Halloween are cuts from pumpkin carving accidents. You can protect yourself and loved ones by taking these precautions:
- Use a soft pumpkin: letting a pumpkin sit out for a few days will allow it to soften. A softer pumpkin requires less force to carve which can limit injuries.
- Carve a pumpkin in a dry well-lit area: Drying pumpkins thoroughly limits the possibility of the knife slipping and causing an injury and dim lighting can increase the risk of accidental injury.
- Use pumpkin carving kits: Using carving kits is safer than using a sharper kitchen knife which is typically larger and harder to control.
Don’t allow children to carve pumpkins unsupervised: Sharp implements should only be used by adults and pumpkin carving kits should only be used by children under the supervision of adults.
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