Halloween night is a high-risk night of the year for pedestrian accidents, with many crashes causing serious injuries or fatalities to children. Halloween is dangerous because there are many kids out trick-or-treating at the same time as people attend parties where they may consume alcoholic beverages. Parents and drivers need to be aware of Halloween pedestrian accident risks and must do everything they can to try to prevent a tragic accident from happening on October 31.
If a driver is careless or intoxicated and a crash happens on Halloween, victims of the accident need to know what their options are for using the Georgia legal system to recover damages. An Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer can provide legal representation and assistance to victims and to family members of those who lose their lives to deadly accidents.
Staying Safe from Atlanta Pedestrian Accidents on Halloween Night
According to Republican Herald, statistics collected from 1990 to 2010 show there is double the death rate of child pedestrians on Halloween night compared with other days of the year. The vast majority of children who are killed in pedestrian crashes on Halloween are struck by cars during the hours of 4:00 PM and 10:00 PM and most are killed in the middle of the road, not at crosswalks or at intersections.
Although the death rate for children is doubled on Halloween, only 31 percent of parents express concern about their children getting hit by a car, according to a survey on Halloween attitudes reported on by Safe Kids. Furthermore, only 35 percent of parents speak with their children every single year about reducing Halloween risks and dangers. Parents should remind children to cross the street at corners and crosswalks only, and should always consider going with their children to provide adult supervision during trick-or-treating.
Parents should avoid letting kids trick-or-treat alone until at least aged 12. A total of 12 percent of parents said they’d allowed children five and younger to go door-to-door with no adult supervision. Siblings may be entrusted to watch younger children, but amidst the excitement of so many kids out on Halloween, they may not be effective at controlling their younger siblings and preventing tragedy. Parents should try to trick-or-treat with children whenever they can.
While parents need to teach kids best practices for safety, drivers are ultimately responsible for exercising care when operating their vehicles to avoid striking children. Too many drivers fail in this obligation. Patch.com warns that 23 percent of the deadly pedestrian accidents on October 31 involved a driver who has consumed more than the legal limit of alcohol. Over the course of the whole Halloween weekend, drunk drivers cause 44 percent of fatal crashes on a national level.
Drivers need to be on the lookout for children when driving through residential areas on Halloween, and drivers should make sure they are sober, not distracted, and are focused on protecting children. Drivers who do not live up to their legal obligations can be made to pay for all resulting losses their negligence behind the wheel causes children or their families to endure.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Van Sant Law, LLC can represent victims after a collision. Call today at (800) 234-9556 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.