Halloween safety concerns parents, drivers, and trick-or-treaters need to be aware of
Children are twice as likely to be struck and killed by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year, according to AAA expert
UPPER CHICHESTER, Pennsylvania -- Costumes are picked and candy is stocked. Halloween is Tuesday and the kids are ready, but Jana Tidwell from AAA Mid-Atlantic explains there are traffic safety concerns that parents, drivers, and trick-or-treaters need to be aware of.
The video featured is from a previous report.
"Children are twice as likely to be struck and killed by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year. Halloween ranks, consistently, in one of the top three days for pedestrian crashes [and] fatalities," Tidwell said.
There are measures you can take to maximize your safety.
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For starters, from glow sticks to cell phone lights, Tidwell recommends being as visible as possible.
"This can be as simple as dropping a good old-fashioned flashlight into your treat bag so that it lights the bag up while you are walking," Tidwell suggested.
Adding reflective tape, stickers and those kinds of things to Halloween costumes -- especially the backs of their costumes -- also helps.
AAA urges parents to walk with their children.
"We want to make sure we're not darting out in the middle of the street between parked cars. Stay with a group [and] walk to the end of the street. Cross at the crosswalk. Cross at stop signs," said Tidwell.
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Drivers also need to be aware. Slow down on the roads, keep your headlights on even in daylight and eliminate distractions, like cellphones.
Tidwell added that Halloween has become a big party holiday, so have a plan to get home safely.
"From 2016-2020, 129 people were killed as a result of a drunk driving crash on Halloween night," said Tidwell.
