Earlier sunsets. Extra focus.

The drive home may follow the same familiar route, but October changes what that trip looks like. Daylight fades earlier. People walking near campus, crossing a neighborhood street, or heading home from practice can become harder to see.

Those seasonal changes make October a good time to revisit our driving habits. It is also National Pedestrian Safety Month, a reminder that keeping people safe means looking beyond the cars around us.

Earlier darkness changes the evening drive

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 76% of pedestrian deaths in traffic crashes in 2024 occurred in darkness. During the fall months of September through November, 29% of pedestrian fatalities occurred between 6 and 8:59 p.m., the largest share of any three-hour period that season.

These figures describe when fatal crashes occurred. They also give us a practical reason to pay closer attention during evening trips, when people may still be out walking as daylight disappears.

A familiar road still needs our full focus. Checking a notification or looking down to change a song takes attention away from the people and conditions around us.

Halloween brings another reason to prepare

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics in 2018 examined U.S. crash records from 1975 through 2016. Researchers compared pedestrian deaths between 5 p.m. and midnight on Halloween with the same hours exactly one week before and after.

They found 43% more pedestrian deaths on Halloween evenings than the comparison evenings, on average. The study measured fatality patterns; it did not establish how much of the increase came from distracted driving.

NHTSA advises drivers to expect more pedestrians around Halloween, including children appearing in unexpected places. Slowing down and scanning the road help drivers notice someone before a dangerous situation develops.

Make full attention part of your fall routine

Before leaving, set your directions, choose your music, and put your phone out of reach. If something needs your attention during the trip, pull over somewhere safe before handling it. In neighborhoods, watch carefully near driveways, crossings, and parked cars.

October gives us a timely reason to practice habits that matter all year. Through Safe Driving Week and Hunter’s Pledge, Hunter’s Fund encourages students to make distraction-free driving a shared commitment.

This fall, take Hunter’s Pledge and invite a friend to join you. Every person sharing the road deserves your full attention.