Trick or Treat: Look out for little peds walking down the street

Halloween is fast approaching. By the time most children are ready to hit the streets, it will be quite dark. Although kids are dead set to head out the door and collect candy, parents need to take a few minutes to first discuss safety tips with their trick-or-treaters.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports Halloween night as one of the worst three nights of the year for pedestrian injuries and fatalities. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that children are four times more likely to be hit by a driver on Halloween, with 70% of these accidents occurring away from an intersection. That means that most children are being hit by drivers in neighborhoods as they move from house to house. Want to help keep your trick or treaters safe? Follow these important tips:

• Choose costumes that stand out, and make sure masks don’t block vision
• Carry a flashlight, and use glow sticks or reflective tape to light up treat bags and costumes
• If possible, stay on well-lit streets and always use sidewalks
• If no sidewalk is available, walk along the edge of the road facing traffic
• Never cross in the middle of a street, between parked cars, or at a driveway
• Stay in a group and communicate about where you are going

We want to practice safe driving as well. Here are some tips for drivers from AAA:

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals
• Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may run into the street
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs
• Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys
• Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even if it’s still light out
• Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and front porches

If you’d like a more comprehensive list of safety tips, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has written several safety tips to help everyone have a safe and healthy Halloween. Have a safe and Happy Halloween!