With Halloween Around the Corner, Parents Should Discuss Pedestrian Safety With Their Kids

October 3, 2018 | Pedestrian Accidents

The leaves are changing, a new school year is in full swing, and children throughout the Indianapolis area are already looking forward to Halloween. While your children may believe that the most pressing issues regarding Halloween are their costumes and which neighborhoods give out the best candy, parents should keep in mind that trick-or-treating significantly increases the risk of a motorist injuring children.

Keeping Your Child Safe

Fortunately, you can minimize your child’s risk of involvement in a pedestrian accident this Halloween. Here are some tips for parents and children provided by Safe Kids Worldwide to ensure a safe and fun Halloween:

• Make sure that an adult or an older, responsible youth supervises young children.
• Only cross the street at corners, using crosswalks or traffic signals.
• Only trick-or-treat in neighborhoods with sidewalks or paths. If you find yourself in an area without sidewalks or paths, walk facing traffic as far over to the left as you can.
• Pick a trick-or-treating route that minimizing the number of times you need to cross the street.
• Choose brightly colored costumes and place reflective tape or stickers on them.
• Whenever possible, choose a face paint over masks. If your child’s costume involves a mask, make sure that it does not obstruct his or her vision.
• Have children carry flashlights or glow sticks
• Make sure that your child’s costume fits correctly and is not long enough to cause a fall

Protecting Your Child’s Rights after a Pedestrian Accident

By following the safety tips above, you can minimize the chance that a pedestrian accident will hurt your child this Halloween. Unfortunately, you can’t eliminate it completely. In the event that a car or truck strikes your child this Halloween (or at any other time), protect your family’s legal rights by taking the following steps:

• Make sure that police and emergency medical personnel respond to the scene of the accident. Police will determine whether the driver violated any traffic laws in the accident. If the driver did, that may establish liability.
• Take your child to your pediatrician, even if paramedics did not take your child to the hospital or the hospital discharged your child after observation. A doctor needs to identify any potential injuries and create an official medical record of those injuries.
• Talk to an attorney as soon as you can, and do not make any statements to the insurance company. Let your attorney handle all discussions with the insurance company.

Call Indiana Personal Injury Attorney Merry Fountain Today for a Free Consultation

Indianapolis personal injury lawyer Merry Fountain is a skilled injury advocate. If you are looking for an injury law attorney in the greater Indy area—Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Kokomo, Lebanon—she’s here to help. Call her anytime at 1-888-242-HURT (4878), or simply click Tell Us About Your Case for a free consultation.