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With Halloween-related activities occurring mostly at night, combined with the visually obstructive nature of many costumes, it is no surprise that pedestrian accidents increase dramatically during the spookiest of holidays.
As our children and teens take to the streets to visit haunted houses, attend gatherings, or to go trick-or-treating, it is important for parents to remind them to be alert when walking or behind the wheel.
Driver distraction and/or intoxication is the most common cause of preventable automobile accidents.
Some haunting statistics:
- The pedestrian death rate among teens is twice that of younger children.
- Nationwide statistics show a 23% increase in drunken driving incidents occurs each Halloween.
- More than 12 percent of parents report that their child, age 5 years or younger, is permitted to trick or treat without adult supervision.
How can you help make 2021 a Happy Halloween?
Please take the time to talk to your family about safety this Halloween and reduce the number of child pedestrian accidents. Here are five safety tips that are sure to keep your kids safe this season:
- For younger children trick or treat and cross streets only when an adult is present.
- Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
- Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Parents should remind children to watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
- Look left, right and then left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross streets. Walk, never run, across the street.
- Include a bright or reflective element with costumes to help increase visibility of the wearer and never restrict their movement or vision.
Our favorite Happy Halloween stories from the legal community:
JUST A BUNCH OF HOCUS POCUS: THE LAW ON TRICK OR TREATING
Synopsis: Don’t worry, Wisconsinites– the only law on the books regarding Halloween is Wis. Stat. 941.235, which states that “whoever places objects, drugs, or other substances in candy or other liquid or solid edibles with the intent to cause bodily harm to another person is guilty of a Class I felony.” (See State v. Timm, 163 Wis. 2d 894 (1991)).
(There is, however, a hilarious appellate case wherein the plaintiff appealed the trial court’s decision because his attorney found out that the jury had been given leftover Halloween candy by the court. The appellate court found that this did not constitute a bias. See State v. Green, 2013 Wisc. App. LEXIS 908 (2013).)
And as your children get older and start families of their own consider our Estate planning services.