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Halloween Safety Media Availability NA24150cm
October 23, 2024
WHAT:
Media availability to bring awareness to the dangers of Halloween including pedestrian, driver, and costume safety with displays of cannabis candy wrappers made to look like popular candy brands.
WHEN:
Thursday, October 31, 2024
5:00 a.m.
WHERE:
Valley Traffic Division
7870 Nollan Place
Panorama City, CA 91402
WHO:
LAPD Sergeant Stephen Slinsky, Valley Traffic Division
LAPD Officer Sal Reyes, Valley Traffic Division
LAPD Officer Ryan Bronk, Valley Traffic Division
LAPD Officer Karen Torres, Valley Traffic Division
LAPD Officer Chad Dellinger, Valley Traffic Division
WHY:
Millions of children will go Trick-or-Treating nationwide in 2024. The number one cause of death attributed to Halloween is a collision between a pedestrian and a motor vehicle. A pedestrian death is four times more likely to occur on Halloween. On average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a vehicle and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year.
Drivers can:
• Avoid using handheld electronic devices.
• Remember that as soon as you step out of your car, you become a pedestrian.
• If you see a drunk driver or impaired pedestrian on the road, contact local law enforcement.
• Be especially alert for all road users, including pedestrians, at night.
• Slowdown in areas where pedestrians are likely to be or where sight distances are limited. Keep your windshield clean.
Pedestrians can:
• Make yourself as visible to motorists as possible, especially at night and in low light by carrying a flashlight, wearing a small flashing strobe light, and wearing reflective clothing. The sooner drivers see you, the sooner they can react. Reflective materials on the parts of your body that move, such as feet, legs, and arms, can be seen at greater distances by drivers in the dark. Carry your flashlight on the side closest to traffic.
• Walk on a sidewalk if one is available. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic, as far to the side as safely as possible. Drivers do not expect to see pedestrians in the roadway or to come out from between parked cars or behind shrubbery. Expect that drivers will not see you and wait for them to pass.
• Follow the rules of the road at driveways and intersections. Cross with a traffic signal if there is one and even if you have the right of way, make sure traffic has stopped or passed before you step into the street. This will be easier to do if electronic devices do not distract you from picking up visual and auditory information about traffic.
A few safety tips for adults:
• Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to get home safely at the end of the night. Alcohol affects judgment, balance, and reaction time. Create a “buddy system” to get each other home safely. Call a cab or your community’s Sober Ride program, take public transportation, or use NHTSA’s Safer Ride app to help you call a sober friend or family member to pick you up. Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.
CONTACT:
For more information, please contact Sergeant Stephen Slinsky, Valley Traffic Division at (818) 644-8146.
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