Prepare yourselves, this afternoon’s rush hour could be one of the worst of the year. It won’t be bad because of weather, it won’t be bad because of construction, it won’t be bad because of an abnormal number of crashes. It will be bad because of little princesses, little cowboys and little ghosts. Yes, it is Halloween and the cause of the awful traffic tonight will be trick-or-treaters.
Let me be clear, little kids going house-to-house to collect candy won’t cause traffic jams, but parents rushing home from work to take the kiddies trick-or-treating will be.
We see it every year. Working parents leave work early en masse to get home, get the gets into costumes, and then lead them around collecting bite-sized Snickers.
Doug Turnbull from the WSB Traffic Team will once again be flying high above the rough Halloween traffic in the Skycopter, and knows what we can expect on the roads.
“Brace for pretty much an all day rush hour,” Turnbull said. “Anytime Halloween falls on a weekday, we see big delays on the freeways starting around lunchtime and lasting until early evening.”
So, not only will it be a worse rush hour, it will be an earlier rush hour.
“By 5:30 or 6 p.m., the drive will get much better,” Turnbull said. “Then the focus will be on the neighborhood streets. We need to be extra vigilant and attentive to all the trick-or-treaters that will be crossing the roads.”
For those that don’t have kids and don’t have to get home early, my best advice is to wait the rush hour out. By 6:30 or 7 p.m. the interstates should be much better. But, as Doug mentioned, that is a prime time when kids are out and about on the side streets. At that point all drivers need to be very careful and make sure to go extra slow when driving around neighborhoods.
Today is a perfect day, if you are able to, to telecommute or flex your hours. If your job allows you to work from home, I would suggest that. Or if you can, go in late to work and then leave late to go home.
“If you have to go in, you may be better off leaving work after 5 and missing the height of the rush,” Turnbull said. “This may mean trick-or-treating after dark, so be extra careful.”
I can’t stress that enough. Tonight when you drive home expect little ghouls and goblins to dart in and out of traffic. Make sure you put your smart phone down and pay extra attention.
The Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Safe Kids Gwinnett and the Gwinnett County Police Department offer safety tips for motorists on Halloween:
- Drive slowly and remain cautious, especially in residential areas
- Watch for children walking in the street or standing in the median
- Obey all traffic and pedestrian regulations
- Avoid the use of drugs or alcohol during Halloween festivities, especially when driving
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