The other day I was outside on a walk with my kids after dinner and
before we knew it it was getting dark. Everyday sunset gets a minute or
two earlier. By the end of October sunset will be almost 1 hour earlier,
which means that at about six o'clock it will be dark outside. It is so
important at this time of year to make sure you are seen by drivers by
using reflective wear and lights.
In the fall the weather is still pretty nice, which means that many adults and children will be out when it is getting dark. Children are very easy to miss because they are smaller. There are many ways to make sure to be seen by drivers. An easy solution is to put reflective adhesives or sew ons, on your jackets, shoes, hats etc. Also, make sure to put reflective tape on strollers, scooters, bikes, trailers and the like.
Multi purpose micro LED lights are a great way to be seen as well and you can put them virtually anywhere. It only takes a couple of minutes of your time to apply some reflective tape or only about 5 seconds to put on a
reflective belt or band. It's better to take a minute to make sure you are visible then risk the chance of being hit by a car.
DontGetHit.com
Going Trick or Treating in an all black witch costume with a fully painted black face will sure spook everyone out, but it can be quite dangerous when the witch is sometimes invisible to drivers.
A great solution (without altering costumes) is to have highly visible goody bags. We therefore are having a contest to see who can make the most awesome and eye catching reflective treat bags. You can use our
reflective tape and stickers or your own, to cut out some great shapes.
This is a great Sunday activity. You can post your pictures on our
facebook ,
Google+ page or email them to info@dontgethit.com.
The winner will receive a free gift card (amount to be decided depending on amount of entries) to
DontGetHit.com and will be announced in the beginning of November.
Can't way to see your photos, Good Luck!
DontGetHit.com
According to safekids.org, more kids are hit by cars in September than any other month. Recent studies show that teens are now most vulnerable. This is likely due to the 75% rise in teens using personal electronics.
The good news is that accidents are very preventable with some safety measures like making sure to be seen, teaching kids safety rules and setting a good example.
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| Child Pedestrian Death Rates by Age Group from safekids.org |
Here are some safety reminders for kids (and adults too) and for drivers for the new school year:
Pedestrian:
-Be visible with retro-reflective materials. Reflective material can be found on shoes, clothing, adhesives,
arm / leg bands etc..
-Try not to walk alone at low visibility times like dawn, dusk, and in fog or rain.
-Teach kids never to run into the street (or a parking lot) to chase a ball or the like
-Children should cross streets and walk through parking lots with an adult (preferably holding their hand) until they are at least 10 yrs old.
-Try to cross by intersections (never between parked cars) and look left, right and left again.
-Take the most direct route with the fewest intersections.
-Cross at least 10 ft in front of a school bus (never behind the bus) and make sure the driver is fully stopped and can see you before crossing.
-Reduce distractions, such as talking or texting while crossing streets (and driving).
-When walking were there is no side walk, face traffic and stay left.(Bike the same direction as traffic.)
Drivers:
-Stop for school buses that are picking up or dropping off children
-Slow down in residential / school areas and look for kids at intersections.
-Be extra careful when puling out of a driveway (or alley) and make sure that there isn't anyone near or behind your car.
Some ways we can set a good example (and keep ourselves safe too) are by walking (not running) across streets at corners, using traffic signals, putting away distraction, staying on sidewalks, watching for cars that are turning or backing up and being visible by
wearing reflectors and using
LED lights.
DontGetHit.com
