If you’re planning on driving to a Halloween fancy dress party this October, James Armstrong, CEO at temporary insurance company Veygo, has issued a warning to drivers over the dangers of driving in a Halloween costume and how it could breach the rules of the road.
If caught, you could face up to a €5,000 fine and points on your licence.
Things like novelty gloves could make your grip significantly looser on the steering wheel, or if you’re driving in a long skirt or dress, it could get caught in the pedals.
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Shoes such as high heels can limit your ankle movement, while chunky boots might get in the way of other pedals in your footwell and sliders can cause a whole rang of other issues.
According to Irish law, it is an offence to drive in a public place without due care and attention. If a Garda believes that you have driven carelessly, but no accident resulted, the Garda can issue you with 2 penalty points and an €80 fixed charge for “driving without reasonable consideration.”
If the offence is more serious, you could be convicted of careless driving and fined up to €5000.
If you are convicted of careless driving causing death or serious bodily harm, you could be fined up to €10,000 and imprisoned for up to 2 years, or both.
Other things that can affect your ability to drive safely are things like coloured contact lenses, tinted glasses and scary masks - all of which are popular at Halloween.
If you can't see the road properly, especially if driving at night, you could be endangering yourself and other road users.
When driving at night or in poor visibility, drivers shouldn't use tinted glasses, lenses or visors if they restrict their vision.
Halloween night will be busier than usual on the roads and pavements, especially in residential areas as trick-or-treaters head out to stock up on sweets.
Drivers are asked to slow down and be extra vigilant, paying extra attention to groups of children who may be distracted, and people dressed in black costumes that make it difficult to see in the dark.
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