City Offers Halloween Safety Tips, Free Flashing Lights for Pedestrians

The City of Redmond issued a news release Tuesday reminding drivers to watch out for Trick-or-Treaters as Halloween approaches.

"Kids taking to the streets to Trick-or-Treat are more focused on candy than on safety. It’s up to adults to be more cautious drivers, and to make sure kids can be seen on Halloween," the release stated.

The city will be providing free flashing lights for pedestrians next week in anticipation of Halloween as well as the upcoming end of Daylight Saving Time.

“This is an effort to emphasize the importance of pedestrian visibility in darker hours,” Mayor John Marchione stated in the news release. “The flashers are also a reminder that when we turn the clocks back for the end of daylight savings time on Sunday, Nov. 4, pedestrians are more likely to be walking when it’s dark and should take extra care to be seen in traffic.”

The lights may be picked up at Redmond City Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. next week, Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

The city also offered the following safety tips for drivers:

• Stay alert! There is an increase in pedestrian traffic on neighborhood streets on Halloween. According to the Center for Disease Control, kids are four times more likely to be struck by a car on Halloween than on any other day of the year.
• • Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Stay off the phone. Keep your mind on your driving.
• Carefully enter and exit driveways.
• Drive below the speed limit in residential areas, especially where cars are parked along the side of the street. This will enable you to brake more quickly if a child suddenly darts in front of your car.
• Be patient. Give kids plenty of time to cross the street.
• Don’t pass another car stopped in the roadway. The driver could be waiting for pedestrians to cross.
• Remember that kids are caught up in the excitement of the night and may forget to “stop, look and listen” before stepping into the street.
• For more information on pedestrian safety, visit the city’s website: www.redmond.gov/Transportation/GettingAroundRedmond/Walking.