Halloween is back! For kids, this ‘spooky’ holiday can be one of the most exciting nights of the year. Dressing-up as their favorite character, going from door to door trick-or-treating with their friends, family and neighbors are activities that kids wait every year for. However, there is some scary road and pedestrian statistics that every moms and dads should know prior to Halloween.
Here are some scary statistics:
- Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. In 2017, October ranked No. 2 in motor vehicle deaths by month, with 3,700. July is No. 1, with 3,830 deaths.
- 70% of parents don’t go trick-or-treating with their kids.
- 63% of children don’t carry a flashlight while going out trick-or-treating.
- 86% of adults bring alcohol to a Halloween party
Common Halloween Accidents:
- Trip and Fall accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Poisoning Injuries
- Burn Injuries
- Drunk Driving Accidents
Drinking and driving remains the leading cause of death on our nation’s roads. In fact, drunk driving claimed the lives of almost 11,000 people in 2017 and 2016, according to new data released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Halloween is no longer happy, safe and fun, as it has been sadly affected by some terrifying incidents. These incidents are sadly brought to our office, and our Car Accident Lawyers stand by the side of families, day and night, helping them through a sad and awful time.
SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME
Romaker & Associates was successful in an unusual Chicago auto accident case where we were able to prove the defendant’s willful and wanton conduct. Our client, a 16-years old female was the passenger in a vehicle being operated by a 19-year old driver who was drunk driving. The driver was stopped by police and given a ticket however she was not arrested. The driver left the scene with our client in the car and proceeded to crash her vehicle into a tree.
Romaker Law took the case after several other law firms refused to get involved. We settled with the driver’s insurance company for the policy limits of $20,000.00. We then filed suit against the Chicago Police Department. After taking more than 60 depositions, we took the case to trial. It took 6 weeks, but we were able to recover our client $1,500,000 for her damages.
Tips to stay safe on Halloween
To help ensure adults and children have a safe Halloween, the American Academy of Pediatrics has compiled a list of Halloween safety tips.
Costume Safety
- All costumes and accessories should be fire-resistant
- If you kids are wearing a mask, make sure they put it on only when approaching a door to trick or treating. This will help them to have a better visibility of traffic and prevent trip and falls on uneven surfaces.
- Make sure the makeup used on your kid’s face it is nontoxic and always test it in a small area first
- Carry a flashlight when going out trick or treating and put reflective tape on your kids’ costumes. The more lighting, the better.
Halloween safety tips for drivers
Many parties take place on Halloween and must of them involve alcohol, increasing the chances of getting into a deadly car crash.
- Keep your phone away while driving through neighborhoods. A single distraction could lead to a tragedy.
- Pay special attention on sidewalks and roadways when driving on Halloween. Watch for kids crossing the street. Some costumes are not visible enough.
- Be extra alert when pulling in and out of driveways.
- Kids can be over-excited on Halloween. With that being said, do not assume children can see you or are paying attention.
- If a car stops in the roadway to drop kids off, do not pass the vehicle. Wait until the last kid is dropped off.
- Do not exceed speed limit.
- If you’re planning to drive to a Halloween party, put a mask when arrival.
If you or a loved one is dealing with an accident or injury, let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the justice and compensation that you and your family deserve. Call the Chicago Personal Injury attorneys at The Romaker Law Firm today for a free consultation! We have been representing residents of Chicago and the state of Illinois for over 20 years. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you.