MCDOT Offers Safety Tips Ahead of Halloween

With Halloween and Daylight Saving Time approaching, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is urging drivers and pedestrians to use extra caution when traveling during evening hours.

“The National Safety Council tells us that children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich.  “That statistic should serve as an important reminder for motorists; drive safely, keep an eye out for trick-or-treaters, and never drink and drive if you’ve celebrated with alcohol. As the clocks turn back on Nov. 4, drivers and pedestrians should also be aware of the safety challenges that occur as it gets dark earlier during the shorter days of fall and winter.”

MCDOT suggests these tips to help keep trick-or-treaters safe:

• Drivers should slow down and be alert. Kids are excited on Halloween and may dart into the street. Reduce speed and turn on headlights early.

• Never drive after consuming alcohol.

• Drivers and trick-or-treaters should avoid looking at electronic devices and be aware of their surroundings.

• Drivers and trick-or-treaters should put electronic devices down and be attentive to their surroundings.

• Trick-or-treaters should cross the street at corners or crosswalks. Always look left, right and left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross. Walk—do not run—across the street.

• Parents and trick-or-treaters can make themselves more easily seen by carrying glow sticks or flashlights, using reflective tape or stickers on costumes and bags.

• Trick-or-Treaters should always walk on sidewalks or paths when available.

To promote safe and sober driving on Halloween, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s SoberRide®, in partnership with Lyft, will offer a limited number of codes for $15 off a Lyft ride on Saturday night before Halloween, starting at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, until 4 a.m. on Sunday, Oct 29. The Halloween SoberRide® code will be posted at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at wrap.org/soberride. The service is valid in Lyft’s Washington, D.C. coverage area.

MCDOT is responsible for building and maintaining infrastructure along County-owned roadways including sidewalks, traffic control devices and building dedicated bike lanes. The department built seven miles of sidewalk last year, installed about 20 hybrid pedestrian beacons and continues to add to the County’s 108 miles of protected bike lanes.

“Drivers and pedestrians should be on guard. Halloween will bring high volumes of pedestrians, with children out trick-or-treating and adults attending festivities,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “MCDOT is continuously making walking and bicycling safer through infrastructure upgrades However, new infrastructure alone is not enough. We all need to prioritize safety as we travel and look out for one another.”

The MCDOT Safe Routes to School program and the Monster Flash, a Flash Bus Rapid Transit bus decorated inside and out, will be attending free family friendly events, giving out safety prizes including:

• Saturday, Oct. 28. Noon-3 p.m. Germantown Police and Fire Open House, 20000 Aircraft Drive, Germantown
• Sunday, Oct. 29. Noon-4 p.m. HalloWheaton at Marian Fryer Town Plaza, 2424 Reedie Drive, Wheaton