Halloween safety for families

With Halloween falling on a Friday this year, it’s safe to say trick-or-treaters of all ages will be staying out even later that usual. These costumed creatures of the night are often draped in dark clothing, dressed more for scares than visibility. Taking extra care for both pedestrians and drivers is important for the neighborhood. After all, not only are the injury risks greater on Halloween, chances are you may know the victim or driver. (See video on right on the dangers of driving at dusk.)

Scary statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) show that fatal collisions between motor vehicles and young pedestrians occur most frequently between 4 and 8 p.m. year round--prime trick-or-treating hours on Halloween. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the number of deaths among young pedestrians (ages 5-14) is four times higher on Halloween evening than any other evening of the year.

Take your time when driving and be alert. Better yet, if you don’t need to drive, so much the better. Put off that errand for another day.

For more tips to improve your family's safety this Halloween, see the rest of this post on our Cars blog, and see more safe Halloween tips on our Safety blog.