Miami is the third most dangerous city in the U.S. to trick-or-treat
DORAL, FL – According to a new study of Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), Miami is the third most dangerous city in the U.S. to trick-or-treat regarding road safety.
CMT analyzed more than 850 thousand drives in the U.S. to uncover the most dangerous cities for trick-or-treaters this Halloween when more than 41 million people are expected to hit the streets for candy, which increases traffic (both pedestrian and vehicular) on the roads.
“Children are running from house to house collecting candy at the same time people are on their normal commutes home from work. As children conclude their trick-or-treating, adults are heading to Halloween festivities,” says the study.
This dynamic increases the risks of pedestrian and bicycle accidents that according to CMT are alarmingly rising up.
“CMT’s report shows that while drivers remain dedicated to watching out for superheroes and witches and wizards crossing the street, there is still a higher likelihood of encountering a speeding or harsh braking event.” read the company’s release.
In the United States, 32% of car trips include at least one distraction event and 35% of drivers are distracted at least once per trip, according to an analysis of 65 million miles recorded in the country.
But distraction isn’t the only concern about road safety during Halloween. Based on data of October 31, 2018, CMT found that 39% of trips involved speeding, while 25% of drivers broke hard at least once.
“This means that speeding increased by an alarming 235% on Halloween, while hard braking increased 178%,” reads the media release.
Taking all this into consideration, the company defined the scariest and safest places in the country for trick-or-treaters in the road.
On the negative side, Arlington, in Texas, occupies the first place, Memphis, Tennessee, the second, and Miami is the third most dangerous city in the U.S. to trick-or-treat. These are the “most distracted cities” for drivers on Halloween.
Jacksonville, Florida, takes the third place for the speediest regions on Halloween after Cape Cod (Massachusetts), and The Hamptons (New York).
Among the safest cities for trick-or-treaters are Las Vegas (Nevada), Long Beach and San Jose (California), Seattle (Washington), and Minneapolis, in Minnesota.
CMT uses phone sensors to gather data about speeding, acceleration, hard braking, cornering, and smartphone distraction. “We analyze raw data from smartphone sensors and our optional wireless Tag device to produce best-in-class insights.”
To conduct this study, the company analyzed data from 856,962 trips on Halloween, 2018, and compared it to data of 7.5 million trips in October 2018 in North America.
CMT also provided some tips to stay safe during this Halloween season which include slowing down on the roads, especially in residential neighborhoods where trick or treaters may be crossing the street; supervising children under 12 years old, and discussing safety best practices, such as keeping a flashlight handy, staying on sidewalks, looking both ways, and only trick-or-treating on agreed upon route.