Halloween, one of if not the best holiday, is this Thursday, which means swarms of children will be walking around. In a perfect world, everyone would use crosswalks and look both ways when crossing the street, but the world is not perfect. It would do a lot of good for drivers to be on higher alert for the holiday, and not just when driving around. Surely, there will be plenty of trick-or-treaters out and about, but not everyone looking for candy. Instead, some take the trick part more seriously, and many cars end up vandalized. This post will discuss ways to stay vigilant during Halloween so you are not filing an auto insurance claim on November 1st.
Trick-or-Treat
Since Halloween is on a weekday there shouldn’t be any trick or treaters until the afternoon. Once after school hours hit, motorists may be better of staying off the road, especially inexperienced drivers who tend to have already-high auto insurance rates. As night time approaches, those in dark-colored costumes will be even harder to see, so vigilance is a necessity. It would be wise to make full stops at stop signs and street lights as kids will be more motivated by candy than safety. While you keep an eye out for kids crossing streets, be sure to watch for motorists under the influence.
Drunk Driving
Unfortunately, Halloween continues to be a deadly holiday due to drivers operating their vehicles under the influence of alcohol. According to the US Dept. of Transportation on Halloween day from 2013-2017 158 people were killed by drunk drivers. If you plan on going out during the holiday and into the weekend, either be or get a designated driver or use ride-share services.
Vandals
Lastly, but certainly important, is keeping an eye on your property/vehicles during night hours. From car egging to breaking into and stealing from cars, Halloween night sees a large spike in insurance claims. The best way to avoid people breaking into your car would be to make sure nothing inside the car appeals to a thief. As for vandalism, the best option you have is to park your car in a garage or keep it off the street if you can.