Happy kids in halloween costume trick or treating outdoors. Two little girls in halloween costume with buckets walking outdoors on the street.
October brings Halloween and recognizably shorter daylight hours. We felt like it was also a good month to offer some tips on time management as NYC and the transportation industry continue to slowly bounce back from the pandemic.
Halloween Safety and Mischief Night
The National Safety Council urges motorists to be especially alert on Halloween.
- Watch out for children darting out from between parked cars.
- Watch out for children walking on roadways, medians, and curbs – particularly ones who are focused on their phones.
- Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
- As it starts to grow dark, watch out for kids in dark clothes and costumes.
- Be on the alert for criminals using the cover of Halloween to disguise their appearance.
- Check your sources to find out about any Halloween Parade routes and be patient if you are delayed in traffic as a result of one.
- If children (or teenagers) throw eggs at your vehicle, DO NOT get out and escalate the incident. It could be a trap, with other kids waiting for you to step out of your car. It is easier and much safer to simply go to a car wash.
- Never overreact to vandalism or a surprise attack. If you slam on the brakes, throw your vehicle in reverse, and try to chase vandals, you run a high risk of causing an accident. Call the police if you are a victim of vandalism. DO NOT take the law into your own hands.
Night-time Driving
More accidents occur at night than any other time of day, mainly for one simple reason: It is much harder to see at night, and therefore more difficult to react quickly to hazards. Here are some essential night-time defensive driving tips:
- Keep your windshield clean to improve vision.
- Turn lights on at least a half-hour before sunset.
- Increase your following distance to four seconds.
- Be extra careful on curves and at intersections.
- Switch from high to low beams to keep from blinding other drivers.
- If you are having a mechanical issue, pull completely off the road and use your flashers.
- As professional drivers, you should have your eyes examined ANNUALLY. Night vision naturally diminishes with age.
Long Hours Require Proper Time Management
- Do not procrastinate (accumulating tasks lead to stress).
- Take care of errands, general tasks and responsibilities one at a time.
- Do not waste time on trivial, unimportant matters.
- Focus on the positives and do not dwell on negative issues.
- Set long-range and short-term goals.
- Set aside time for home, relationships, activities, and yourself – including exercise and rest.
