Creating Visibility on Halloween is the Key to Child Safety | Community Spirit

Creating Visibility on Halloween is the Key to Child Safety; Life+Gear Offers Tips to Increase Visibility

Dark streets, distracted motorists and lots of children walking around make Halloween one of the most dangerous pedestrian walking days of the year. Below are both facts and tips to help your viewers (and their children) have a safe Halloween.

Dangers of the Dark—The Facts

• Motor vehicle fatalities rise 30 percent on average on Halloween when Halloween is celebrated on a weekend, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .
• Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated the majority of pedestrian accidents occur between the hours of 4 and 8 p.m. –the prime trick-or-treating hours.
• Pedestrian fatalities involving children between the ages of 5 and 14 are 4.5 times more likely on Halloween than any other night, according to U-M Transportation Research Institute.
• Eighty-four percent of accidents involving children on Halloween occurred at non-intersections according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Increasing Visibility—“See and Be Seen” Key to Halloween Safety

On Halloween it is important for parents and children to “SEE and be SEEN”

To see:

• Use a flashlight to light your walking path
• Trick or treat in neighborhoods with streetlamps and other light sources
• Only approach houses that are well lit

To be seen:

• Use a bright GlowStick, preferably one that flashes
• Wear reflective clothing or material
• Stay on sidewalks and in groups
• Trick or treat in neighborhoods with streetlamps and light sources