The scariest night of the year is fast-approaching. Scarier still, it’s time to revive your Blue Peter skills and root out some double-sided sticky tape and toilet rolls in a vain attempt to construct SpongeBob Squarepants and Bratz outfits (for your little treasures, of course)!
To make sure the night is all about having fun and doesn’t turn into a real nightmare, we’ve come up with some easy tips for keeping children and drivers safe this Halloween.
Tips for Motorists
- Slow down. Watch carefully for trick-or-treaters walking on roads and footpaths.
- Be particularly careful going into and out of driveways
- Be patient. Give children lots of time to cross the street. Their costumes may impair their ability to see and hear you, and to get out of your way quickly.
- Don’t overestimate a child’s judgement. Kids may forget to “stop, look, and listen,” so don’t assume that they will. Children often have a difficult time judging distance and speed.
- Please ensure that you keep a distance between you and the car in front.
- Please be aware of driver fatigue and never ever drink and drive!
Guidelines for Parents and Children
- Stay out of the street. Always walk on the footpath. If there are no footpaths, walk facing oncoming traffic.
- Make sure you can be easily seen. Carry a flashlight. If possible, wear costumes that are light-coloured. Darker-coloured costumes and bags should be decorated with hi-visibility tape.
- Make sure trick-or-treaters can see and hear properly. Consider using face paint instead of masks, or if you do wear a mask it should be well fitting with eye- and ear- holes that don’t obscure sight and hearing.
The number of people killed in road accidents in Ireland so far this year is 177, down from 196 at the same time last year. Most road fatalities happen at dusk and late at night. So with the days now getting shorter we all need to take extra care when driving to keep ourselves and others safe on the road.
Brought to you by AXA Car Insurance Ireland - Supporting Road Safety in Ireland