Halloween is a fun time for kids as they go out trick or treating, but it can bring scary traffic safety concerns according to Triple-A Mid-Atlantic.
With Halloween tomorrow and youngsters out and about when the sun goes down, AAA Mid-Atlantic reminds parents and motorists to make safety a priority.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports Halloween is many times one of the top three days of the year for pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
Nationally, there were 129 drunk-driving fatalities between 2016 and 2020 on Halloween night.
Drivers should eliminate distractions and slow down in residential neighborhoods to focus on the road and trick-or-treaters.
They should also look for children crossing the street or darting out into the street, and carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys. Also turn your headlights on even in the daylight.
AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Jana Tidwell also has tips for parents for Halloween.
"Adding flashlights to treat bags, using reflector tape on the back of costumes, utilizing those glow bracelets and glow sticks. They're super simple ways to help make your trick-or-treater light up a little bit to be visible and able to be seen by motorists," said Tidwell.
Parents are also reminded to instruct children to travel only in familiar areas, stop only at well-lit houses, stay on sidewalks, avoid walking in streets, if possible, and tell them to cross streets only at the corner.
AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Jana Tidwell says these precautions are needed because Halloween statistically is a dangerous night.
"Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year,” said Tidwell. “And not to scare you for lack of a better word, but this is important because kids are so excited and it really is up to the parents and motorists to help out in this case."
Other precautions parents can take include reviewing trick-or-treating safety precautions as well as pedestrian and traffic safety rules with their children.
