Dear Editor:
As residents of the Graham Addition in Lewisburg, we have seen an increase of thru traffic over the years. The Graham Addition neighborhood is a popular way for many motorist to bypass Highway 219 and its traffic congestion through Lewisburg. An increase in traffic through the neighborhood is especially concerning when, during an evening like Halloween, so many children and their parents are walking through the neighborhood.
During Halloween, our neighborhood welcomes hundreds of children from outside our neighborhood to Trick-Or-Treat. It is time-honored and enjoyable tradition for all. A time for children to collect candy and scurry from one home to another boasting about the score from the last home. However, the combination of increased vehicle traffic and hundreds of child pedestrians, it has become a heart pounding experience for many parents.
We experience an increase of vehicles during this time from two sources:
• people driving their children house to house to trick-or-treat
• folks using the route as their normal bypass on their daily commute
The biggest danger to kids on Halloween isn’t poisoned candy or kidnapping – it’s child pedestrian accidents. Historically, children are four times more likely to get hit by a car and twice as likely to die in a pedestrian accident on this day than on any other. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records, an average of almost 30 pedestrians annually are killed each Halloween. Darting or running into the road accounted for about 70 percent of pedestrian deaths or injuries for those age 5 to 9 and about 47 percent of incidents for those 10 to 14.
As concerned parents, we would like to urge drivers
• Please find alternate routing during designated trick or treat hours of 6-8 p.m.
• Slow down and be especially alert in neighborhoods.
• Reduce any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
• Remember that children are excited and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic.
• Turn your headlights on earlier in the day so you can spot children from greater distances.
• Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility and they may not be able to see your vehicle.
To further cut down on the traffic congestion during this time, we encourage all Trick-or-Treater adults to use “park and walk” instead of driving children door to door. This would cut down significantly on the number of vehicles in the area.
As a reminder, this year’s traditional night of celebration is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Have a safe and happy Halloween.
Cindy Lavender-Bowe
Sarah Skelding
Lewisburg
