"Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat..." Sound familiar? It's almost that time of year again!
Kids of all ages will be dressed up to mirror their favorite superhero, animal, or monster while flooding the streets in their Pacific Northwest neighborhoods, in effort to locate as much candy as possible.
In this case, "flooding the streets" is not just a phrase, but a reality. While excited, most will run out into the street without looking for cars, under a sense of freedom to explore when so many others are out and about.
Because kids will be kids, regardless how many safety instructions are given, we have a responsibility to be extra protective with our precautions as drivers.
Whether you're in Kirkland, Lynnwood, or Canyon Park, the scenario is the same.
Here are 4 trick-or-treating safety tips for drivers
Children have way less visibility than an adult, especially when their vision may be impaired by their costume. Just because you see them, does not mean that they see you. Take extra precautions, even if your presence seems obvious to you as the driver.
1. Drive slower than the posted speed limit. Most neighborhoods are 25 mph or lower - meaning this is not slow enough on trick-or-treat night. Stay well below the speed limit just in case a little batman or spider man decide to run after their villain friends.
2. Realize you hopefully will not be the only car slowing down, so if a car is going slow in front of you, be patient. Do not pass the car or try to get them to speed up. You don't know if they're stopping for kids crossing the road, or see something you do not see.
3. Definitely stop at all stop signs and intersections. Come to a full stop, look all around you, and slowly cross the intersection. Even if you do not see anyone, resist the temptation to roll through. Many children will have on dark costumes, possibly even camouflage, that will make it very hard to see at night especially if the street is not well lit.
4. Avoid using your cell phone or punching in an address in your GPS. You want complete focus on your surroundings. You never know what can happen in the moment you take your eyes off the road - and you don't want to risk finding out.
Halloween Safety Tips for Parents
In addition to being a cautious driver, you can also help your own children for the sake of other drivers. Not only teaching them to cross the streets only at intersections and in line with the traffic laws, but also helping them be more visible in general on this specific night.
If they have a dark costume, consider adding reflective tape or stickers to help them be more visible to drivers.
They can also carry flashlights with them as they trick-or-treat while walking between houses.
Simple tweaks like these can go a long way to a driver trying to navigate busy roads with excited children running around.
Regardless if you're the parent, the driver, or both - the end result is the same. Arrive home safely and enjoy sneaking away some of the candy for yourself!
Headlights Safety Tip!
We at Suburb Service love supporting families and communities. Make sure your headlights are up to standard on these dark holiday nights.
If you have an earlier Subaru with the lexan headlights and they are pretty faded with age we can rejuvenate them in most cases back to crystal clear so you can see those little ghosts or goblins.
Maybe you just need the bulbs changed, Click here to schedule an appointment at Suburb Service, or call (206) 705-8695 to reach our Seattle location.