It’s Halloween, and children all over Oregon are anxiously awaiting the evening, when they can put on their carefully planned costumes and go trick-or-treating. Halloween can be a fun time for the whole family, but it can also be an extremely dangerous evening for young pedestrians. Researchers at the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute have estimated that pedestrian fatalities involving children are about 4.5 more likely than other nights of the year.
The reasons for increased pedestrian and auto accidents on Halloween include costumes that decrease a child’s ability to see his or her surroundings, costumes that make it harder to see children, and, of course, an increased number of drunk drivers on the road. Eugene, Oregon, police note that the already lively party scene in the neighborhoods close to the University of Oregon gets even more rowdy around Halloween, increasing the likelihood of inebriated drivers on the road and the likelihood of pedestrian and auto accidents.
The Oregon Red Cross offers parents several suggestions for making Halloween safer for their children and themselves, including making sure children have reflective material on their costumes or trick-or-treat bags, costumes that don’t block their vision, and a flashlight to help them see and make them more visible to drivers.
If you or your child is injured on Halloween – whether in a pedestrian accident, an auto accident involving a DUII driver, or in a dog attack accident, the expert personal injury attorneys at Dwyer Williams Cherkoss can help you get a settlement from the insurance company. One of our expert Personal Injury Attorneys will be happy to discuss your Oregon Personal Injury case with you. Call us now: 541-617-0555