Halloween is one of the most widely celebrated holidays for children and adults alike, however, there are some safety concerns when it comes to celebrating the spooky holiday.
Jim Pollard with AMR said being hit by a car is a heightened safety concern during Halloween as the kids are out trick-or-treating.
“Make sure that the kids can be easily seen and can easily see,” Pollard said. “Stay away from beards and wigs and hats and helmets. Instead, use makeup on the kids’ faces instead of a mask as it can impair their vision and they might not see what’s coming.”
Pollard also suggested putting reflective tape or lights on children’s costumes to ensure their visibility in the street.
“Halloween is a perfect storm of risk because it’s dark, the kids are outside, there is a huge increase in pedestrian traffic and the distractions are absolutely everywhere,” Pollard said.
But the kids aren’t the only ones who need to be careful on Halloween.
“Because Halloween has become so popular with grownups, you know that the grownup parties are going to have alcohol involved,” Pollard said. “For the year as a whole, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that in a typical recent year about 28% of motor vehicle crash deaths and pedestrian deaths are related to alcohol. On Halloween, it’s 44%. It’s right up there with January 1st, Superbowl Sunday, and July 4th as to the risk of DUI crashes.”
