The month of October is coming to a close, and that means one thing – Halloween is near! Everyone’s favorite, spooky fall holiday is just around the corner, and all across the country people of all ages celebrate with fun costumes, delicious candy, and scary movies.
Much thought is spent each year on picking that perfect costume, deciding which haunted house you are going to, or where you are going to trick-or-treat, but one aspect that often gets overlooked is Halloween safety. With so many people out and about in the streets – often not paying attention due to all of the excitement – the risk for kids being involved in an accident increases substantially.
According to CouponChief.com, The likelihood of your child being struck by a car or killed in a car pedestrian collision quadruples on Halloween. Death and injuries by fire also jump from October 30 to November 1.
Other Halloween night stats from CouponChief include:
-23 percent of child-pedestrian accidents occurred from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 60 percent of child-pedestrian accidents occurred from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
-In over 70 percent of the accidents, the child was not crossing at an intersection or crosswalk.
-32 percent of all child fatalities occurred with children ages 12-15, followed by 23 percent of fatalities with children 5-8.
-Drivers aged 15-25 accounted for nearly one-third of all fatal accidents involving child pedestrians on Halloween.
These are pretty alarming statistics, and it’s important for people of all ages (and their parents!), take this into consideration as they prepare for Halloween night activities. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of Halloween safety tips that can be used by people of all ages to help lower the chance of a serious injury, and ensure you have as much fun as possible!
Safe while on foot
-Be sure to look both ways when you’re crossing a street, and stay on high alert for cars that may not be paying attention.
-Put your electronics away while walking so you aren’t looking down at your phone and can see safety signs and other precautions in front of you.
-Be sure to adhere to all traffic regulations, including crosswalks and traffic signals at intersections. When crossing a road, if there are crosswalks nearby, be sure to utilize those.
Be alert while trick-or-treating
-Children under the age of 12 should have adult supervision while out trick-or-treating.
-Encourage people to stick together in groups so it’s easier to account for everyone involved.
-Trick-or-treat in areas of familiarity to decrease the risk of getting lost.
Halloween near trick-or-treaters
-Be sure to drive slowly and stay on high alert when driving through congested areas of town. Pay special attention to crosswalks or areas of the streets people tend to cross. Sometimes costumes can be hard to see at night.
-Absolutely no texting and driving under any circumstance.
-Take a little extra time and care as you make turns, go through intersections, or pull into driveways in residential areas.
We hope these Halloween safety tips reminded you of the hazards that come with Halloween night, and that you’re able to enjoy America’s spookiest holiday safe and sound!
If you haven’t decided on what costume you or your kids are going to wear next week, check out our TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Halloween “Boxtume” ideas that include instructions on how to make a unicorn, tractor, and fish mask costume.
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