Stay Safe This Halloween: Community Tips from AAA Colorado

Forget pumpkin spice. Fall is here, and that can mean only one thing: It's almost Halloween! You can feel the excitement in the air, especially around trick-or-treaters excited to snatch up as much candy as possible – so long as it's not candy corn, which experts agree is gross.

Amid the excitement, many trick-or-treaters forget about safety. That means drivers, party-goers, and parents must be even more alert – as the risk of being injured by moving vehicles increases significantly on and around Halloween.

In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that Halloween is consistently one of the top three most dangerous days for pedestrian injuries and fatalities. In turn, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that children are four times more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

"You can prevent Halloween from becoming a nightmare with a few steps to keep our kids and community safe," said AAA Colorado spokesman Skyler McKinley. "Parents should take the time to make their children's costumes highly visible to drivers. Motorists, for their part, must slow down and watch for children. And don't plan on drinking at a Halloween celebration unless you have a designated driver."

Halloween is also a statistically dangerous night for drunk driving. Although Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, many parties will be held the weekend before. Drivers must also take into consideration that some neighborhoods will have scheduled trick-or-treating this weekend. The combination of drinking and increased pedestrian traffic as Halloween draws near has been a deadly combination.

A few scary statistics:

• Children are four times more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle on Halloween than any other day of the year. This is especially alarming considering an estimated 40 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 trick-or-treated in the United States in 2014.
• Halloween ranks as the third-deadliest day of the year for pedestrians.
• Nearly 40 percent of fatal crashes on Halloween night involve a drunk driver.
• One-third of Halloween crash fatalities involve a pedestrian.
• 43 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween (6 p.m. October 31st to 5:59 a.m. November 1st) from 2009 to 2013 were in crashes involving a drunk driver. (NHTSA)
• Children out trick-or-treating and the parents accompanying them are also at risk as 19 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes on Halloween night (2009-2013) involved drunk drivers.

AAA Halloween Safety Tips

Motorists

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals. Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart into the street.
• Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and may cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
• Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
• Turn your headlights on to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
• Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and on front porches.

Parents

• Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and light in color to improve visibility.
• Be bright at night – wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and on treat buckets.
• Wear disguises that don't obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use non-toxic face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.
• Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.
• Ask an adult or older child to supervise children under age 12.
• Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
• Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger's home or garage.
• Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.

Trick-or-Treaters

• Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.
• If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
• Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
• Cross streets only at the corner, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
• Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.
• Tell your parents where you are going.
• Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it face down in the treat bucket to free up one hand. Never shine flashlights into the eyes of oncoming drivers.

Party Goers

• Arrange a safe ride home and/or designate a driver before partaking in any festivities.
• Always designate a sober driver.
• If you are drunk, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
• Before leaving for a party, put numbers of local cab companies and your designated driver(s) into your phone.
• Walking impaired can be as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
• If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.

About AAA Colorado

More than 650,000 members strong, AAA Colorado is the state's greatest advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 58 million members with travel, insurance, financial, and automotive-related services - as well as member-exclusive savings. For more information, visit Colorado.AAA.com.