Author Ellen Szubski
Trick-or-treating is a fun and festive activity, but it comes with certain hazards that can pose risks to children and even adults. In addition to trip and fall hazards while trick-or-treating, there is also an increased risk of vehicle/pedestrian collisions due to the increased pedestrian activity in the roadway at night.
Child trick or treating during Halloween in the roadway.
At night, there are two significant problems facing drivers that contribute to pedestrian/vehicle collisions: the degraded visual abilities of drivers and the low contrast of pedestrians. The human visual system is severely limited at night. Both the visual ability to recognize objects and see fine detail, and the ability to recognize low contrast objects like pedestrians are diminished at night. In night, humans experience a loss of color perception and hue as well. Drivers are typically unaware of the extent to which their visual abilities are reduced at night, as suggested by the selective degradation theory which states that a driver’s ability to detect and recognize roadway hazards degrades with lower illumination, while their ability to steer the vehicle remains unchanged. The unchanged ability of a driver to maneuver a vehicle allows the driver to remain confident in their nighttime driving skills, despite their severely degraded visual capabilities in detecting and recognizing roadway hazards like pedestrian trick-or-treaters during Halloween.
Drivers face two significant problems while driving at night: the degraded visual abilities of drivers and the low contrast of pedestrians.
In addition to the degraded visual abilities of drivers, the low contrast of pedestrians within a roadway environment is also a significant problem that contributes to pedestrian/vehicle collisions at night. At night, a driver has decreased sensitivity to fine details, color, and contrast, therefore they are less likely to detect and recognize pedestrians. Pedestrians can enhance their visibility to drivers by increasing their contrast through visibility aids such as retroreflective material. Pedestrians can be made more conspicuous to drivers through the proper placement of appropriate visibility aids. Conspicuity differs from visibility such that a conspicuous object is defined as one that ‘grabs’ the observer’s attention with minimal visual search and is easily recognizable. A visible object is defined as an object that simply contrasts with the background. The more conspicuous the pedestrian, the less likely a collision between the pedestrian and driver. (Please see my previous article titled “The Big Difference Between Conspicuity and Visibility” for more information on the distinction between visibility and conspicuity.). Trick or treater pedestrians should aim to increase their conspicuity with active lighting or retroreflective materials while in the roadway during Halloween in order to enhance their safety.
In conclusion, the degraded visual abilities of drivers and the low conspicuity of pedestrians on the road contribute to pedestrian vehicle collisions at night. During trick-or-treating for Halloween, there is increased pedestrian activity in the roadway at night, increasing the risk of vehicle/pedestrian collisions. Drivers are largely unaware of their diminished visual abilities at night and may overdrive their headlights. Pedestrians typically lack sufficient contrast within their environment to be visible and conspicuous to drivers. An awareness of a driver’s degraded visual abilities at night in addition to decreasing vehicle speeds and increasing the conspicuity of pedestrians may help decrease pedestrian/vehicle collisions at night during Halloween.
Ellen Szubski, Ph.D., CXLT, CPSI, AHFP, is a human factors consultant at The Warren Group. She earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Human Factors Psychology and a Master of Science in Applied Psychology from Clemson University. She did her dissertation on “The Influence of Pedestrian Biological Motion on Time-To-Collision Estimates at Night”. She is also a Certified XL Tribometrist, Certified Playground Safety Inspector and a Certified Associate Human Factors Professional (AHFP). Prior to entering the forensic field, Ellen planned and conducted experiments for a major bicycle manufacturer. She also conducted laser strike perception studies for the Department of Defense. Ellen applies her experience in Human Factors to the analysis of crash investigations and other personal injury matters. These matters often include collisions involving vulnerable road users and drivers, driver distraction, and slips, trips, and falls. She utilizes her knowledge of OSHA regulations, codes, and standards in her analysis of premises liability incidents and safety consulting. Ellen is a current member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) and it’s Forensic Professional Technical Group.
