National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

October serves as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and National Teen Safety Week (October 18-24). The Lutzie 43 Foundation has made strides towards ending distracted and impaired driving. As Halloween falls during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, we wanted to share some tips and tricks for ensuring you practice safe driving not only on Halloween but anytime you drive. 

The Reality of the Season 

The startling reality is that Halloween is one of the deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, especially children. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pedestrian deaths in the U.S. have spiked recently, reaching 6,283 in 2018, and the reported death total was the highest since 1990. “Halloween night is like a ‘perfect storm’ of risk because it involves darkness, a huge increase in pedestrian traffic—especially children—and all sorts of distractions,” says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at CR’s Auto Test Center. 

All Tips, No Tricks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration created these tips for drivers and pedestrians to follow this Halloween.  

As a driver, you can follow these tips to ensure you drive distraction and impaired-free this Halloween.

• Slow down in areas where Trick or Treaters are present
• Don’t use handheld devices behind the wheel. 
• If you see a drunk driver, call law enforcement.
• If you are impaired, don’t drive. Call a sober driver.
• AAA suggests broadening your scanning while driving looking left to right in yards and porches 

If you are a pedestrian on Halloween, ensure you follow these tips.

• Walk on a sidewalk if one is available. 
• Follow the rules of the road. 
• Make yourself visible to drivers, especially at night.
• Before the festivities begin, plan a way to get home safely. 

By prioritizing your safety behind the wheel and on as a pedestrian, you can ensure everyone has a safe Halloween. 

Safe Driving Pledge 

While Halloween is a fun holiday, it can also be a dangerous time to be a driver and a pedestrian. We want everyone to enjoy the holiday. Take the 43 Key Seconds Safe Driving Pledge. It can be your first step to prioritizing safety this Halloween and moving forward. As National Distracted Driving Awareness Month continues, remember our 43 Key Seconds message, have a clear head, clear hands, clear eyes and click it before starting your car. It takes two weeks to form a habit, so start your safe driving habits today. This month in our efforts to shrink this statistic, you could be saving a life. So please join us this month and make an extra effort to make our roads a safer place.