Have
a safe and sane Halloween
The
following is based on information provided by the Oregon Department
of Transportation. Please follow these suggestions to ensure a safe
Halloween.
This Halloween weekend is an occasion for drivers to
take extra care, not only for young trick-or-treaters, but also for
their friends, their family and themselves. Even though the holiday
will fall on a Monday this year, Halloween parties and activities will
be under way through the entire weekend - for both children and adults.
"With nighttime arriving earlier after the end of
Daylight Saving Time, clouds and rain darkening road visibility, and
both adults and children out having fun, it's vital for drivers to be
particularly careful all three days," said Sue Riehl, youth safety
program coordinator at the Oregon Department of Transportation's Safety
Division.
Perhaps the biggest single risk of the Halloween weekend
is drinking and driving.
In fact, 53 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation over
Halloween weekend in 2003 were alcohol-related, and 45 percent of the
total fatalities involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration
(BAC) level of 0.08 or higher - the legal limit in every state.
The Oregon Department of Transportation provides funds
for year-round DUII overtime patrols to the Oregon State Police. OSP
will continue to coordinate with local police agencies to enhance DUII
enforcement for Oregon highways, cities and counties.
ODOT and OSP offer these simple reminders for a safer
Halloween weekend:
For adult traffic safety:
-
Dress children in bright costumes. Use reflective
tape or stickers on darker costumes and treat bags.
-
Apply face paint or cosmetics appropriate for children
directly to the face. It is safer than a loose-fitting mask that can
obstruct a childs vision.
-
If a mask is worn, be certain it fits securely. Cut
the eyeholes large enough for full vision.
-
Secure hats so they will not slip over childrens eyes.
-
Teach children to walk, not run, while trick-or-treating.
-
Remind children to cross streets only at intersections.
-
Teach them to stop and look for cars, looking to the
left, right and left again before crossing, and then to keep looking
both ways for cars while they cross.
-
Teach them never to dart into a street or cross a
street from between parked cars.
-
Don't let children younger than 12 trick-or-treat
or cross streets without adult supervision.
-
Elementary age children are at greatest risk because
of their limited developmental skills.
-
Children in this age group:
-
Have a field of vision one-third narrower than an
adult's.
-
Are unable to determine the direction of sounds.
-
Cannot accurately judge the speed or distance of moving
vehicles.
-
Lack the ability to understand how much time and distance
is needed for a vehicle to stop.
-
Overestimate their own abilities.
-
Are easily distracted, and tend to focus on one thing
at a time like a ball or friend.
-
Are easily hidden by parked cars, bushes, leaf piles,
trash bins, etc.
-
For updated information on highway work and current
travel information throughout Oregon, visit www.tripcheck.com, or
call the Oregon road report at 511 or (800) 977-6368.