Halloween can be a real treat, but sometimes the trick is keeping your vehicle protected from damage. While Halloween can be a lot of fun, ghouls and goblins aren’t the only things that go “bump” in the night as Halloween tends to bring with it 17% more home claims for theft, vandalism, and other crimes than any other day of the year.
Data from the Highway Loss Data Institute found a major jump among auto insurance claims over the 2008 to 2012 period, citing Halloween as the day of the year with the highest average number of auto insurance claims for vandalism — almost twice as many as the typical day. In a 2018 article, the institute said that this trend still held true.
Aside from more major crimes like theft, these are some of the other potential activities Halloween tricksters have been known to participate in:
- Egging
- Throwing firecrackers
- Stealing tires
- Smashing windows
- Toilet-papering or Saran-wrapping
- Putting rotten food or other objects in open windows
- Smashing pumpkins
While vandalism and theft are major issues, there are other Halloween hazards to look out for as there is a major increase in people driving on neighborhood roads, kids in costume walking around, street parking, and drunk driving.
Important Halloween Driving Safety Tips:
Reduce your speed when driving, especially in neighborhoods
Halloween brings lots of people into residential neighborhoods at once causing the street to become lined with cars which could hamper your ability to see trick-or-treaters. Not only that, but there is often increased foot traffic and vehicle traffic in general. For the safety of everyone, please slow down and drive extra carefully on Halloween.
Never, ever, drive drunk or distracted
Unfortunately, drunk driving incidents increase on Halloween. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 41 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night from 2014 to 2018 were in crashes involving drunk driving. About one-third of all crash fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk drivers, according to NHTSA.
Tips for Avoiding Damage from Vandalism, Theft, & Minor Accidents:
Park somewhere safe
If at all possible, park in your garage. But if you find that you must park outside, be sure to set your car alarm and think about purchasing a car cover. If you must park on the street, park somewhere where there is plenty of light to dissuade potential vandals or thieves.
A good coat of wax or paint sealer is critical
A good coat of wax or paint sealer can be great for routine wear and tear like light transfer scratches in all situations. But when there’s a chance your vehicle is egged on purpose or even bumped into by accident, you might find yourself wishing you had thought of this sooner.
Be ready to clean in advance
If your vehicle is hit with eggs, food, silly string, or anything else that might eat away at your paint job, the faster you clean it off, the better the chance you have of driving away unscathed. Keep vehicle-safe cleaning products close by so you can take care of these messes quickly.
No plan to avoid damage is perfect. Be prepared to call Reliable Collision Repair.
If your vehicle is damaged and needs autobody repair work, make the right choice and contact Reliable Collision Repair. As a class-A autobody shop, when you use Reliable Collision, you can rest assured that your vehicle is in good hands.
We understand that when your vehicle needs repairs, it can feel like your life has been turned upside down. That’s why we do everything we can to get you back on the road from handling the appraisal to dealing with your insurance company and even providing rental vehicles or helping to tow your vehicle to our shop in some cases.
If you give us a call at (401) 823-4770 or schedule an appointment with us through Carwise, we can help you at every step of the way.
