Halloween night is around the corner, which means it's almost time for trick-or-treating and costume parties! Beware, the spooky events of October 31st can lead to uncertainty when driving an electric vehicle--especially with ghouls, goblins, witches, vampires, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, and neighborhood families roaming the streets late into the night.
Here are our top 5 safety trips for ensuring a safe Halloween in your vehicle:
1. Watch out for pedestrians...especially children!
It's Halloween night, which means people are out in neighborhoods seeking out the best houses for candy and treats. Children (many of whom are without a parent or guardian for the first time) might not understand traffic laws and rules for safe street crossing. This means it's up to adult drivers to pay close attention for unexpected appearances from excited kids on the road.
In 2020 alone, 6,721 pedestrians died in vehicle-related accidents. The reasons cited are often attributed to either distracted driving or a lack of street lights in darker areas. This is why it is absolutely critical to pay careful attention and expect the unexpected while driving on Halloween night.
2. Avoid wearing a costume that could impact your typical driving habits, or remove it while operating your vehicle.
You're on your way to a Halloween party, and you want to show up ready to blow everyone away with your outstanding costume. But it's bulky, has a helmet, needs large gloves, involves a mask, or calls for wacky shoes.
Although it might be fun drive around the neighborhood decked out in your Halloween gear, make sure that you can drive safely in it. Use common sense when picking your costume, and ask whether or not you can operate your vehicle in the same way as you normally do with it on. If not, perhaps it's best to change once you get to your destination rather than at home.
Consider bringing a comfortable change of clothes to slip into before leaving the party!
3. Keep the Halloween playlist at a reasonable volume in the car.
You're driving around the neighborhood blasting Thriller and Monster Mash as loud as your speakers can go. But are you distracting yourself as a driver? The answer is: probably, yes.
In fact, studies have shown that driving with loud music can have a major impact on a driver's reaction time. Playing your music too loud could increase your likelihood of not braking soon enough, or failing to dodge road obstacles (or even pedestrians).
Feel free to turn on some spooky-themed tunes for the big night, but please make sure the volume is adjusted for safe driving and comfort.
4. Electric Vehicle Drivers: Charge Up in Advance.
Nobody wants to run out of battery on Halloween night! Make sure to charge your car ahead of time to ensure a nearly-full to full battery as to not interrupt your holiday plans. Although 95% of EV-drivers have reported never having run out of battery on the roadway, it's not worth the risk to yourself or your potential passengers.
With the EV700 Level 2 Plug-and-Play Home Charger, you can add up to 200 miles of range to your electric vehicle in as little as 6-8 hours of charging time.
5. Finally, make sure you're well-rested going into the night.
Are you exhausted from a Halloween party that went too late into night? Avoid getting behind the wheel. Studies by sleep and automobile operations experts have shown that going too long without sleep can impair your ability to drive in the same way as drinking too much can.
Driving while tired can often lead to a vehicle accident or a close call. Lack of sleep can make you far less alert, can directly impact your coordination, can harm your quick judgement and reflexes, and can slow your reaction time while driving. This is why sleepless driving is considered to be a serious form of cognitive impairment.
Ride-share applications are available should you be incapable of driving yourself home safely from a Halloween party. Before putting yourself or others at risk by getting behind the wheel, consider calling a Lyft, Uber, or Taxi should you find yourself too impaired to drive.
Be sure to lock in your travel plans in advance to protect the safety of yourself, your guests, and everyone around you on the roads. Have a happy Halloween!