Pedestrian Accidents Spike on Halloween


Children are more likely to be injured in a car / pedestrian accident on Halloween than any other day of the year.

If you’re a parent, no doubt your kids are driving you batty, giddily preparing for tomorrow night’s trick-or-treating. Outside of Christmas and birthdays, it’s probably the best day of the year for a child. Unfortunately, it’s also day kids are most likely to be seriously injured or even killed in a car vs. pedestrian accident, according to a recent study.

Many of us here at E3 Spark Plugs have children in our lives who we love, too. So, we want to make sure you know the risks. Among the study’s findings:

  • An average 5.5 children nationwide are killed in pedestrian vs. car accidents each year on Halloween. That’s more than double the average 2.6 fatalities on other days of the year.
  • Nearly a fourth of these Halloween evening accidents happen between 6 pm and 7 pm, known as the “Deadliest Hour” by emergency room workers. Over 60 percent of them happen in the four-hour period between 5 pm and 9 pm.
  • The middle portion of a neighborhood block might seem like the safest area for trick-or-treaters, it’s actually the most dangerous, with more than 70 percent of Halloween day pedestrian accidents occurring away from an intersection or crosswalk.
  • Children ages 12 to 15 are most at risk on Halloween, accounting for 32 percent of all child fatalities. Children ages 5 to 8 followed, accounting for 23 percent of fatalities.
  • Young drivers ages 15-25 posed the highest risk to trick-or-treating children. They’re involved in nearly a third of all fatal accidents involving child pedestrians on Halloween.

To help keep your young trick-or-treaters safe, encourage them to choose brightly colored costumes with no long, flowing pieces that could cause them to trip while crossing a street. Also, have them carry a flashlight, glow stick or glow-in-the-dark prop to assure oncoming drivers can see them. Placing reflective tape on portions of their costumes, props and candy carriers works, too. Skip masks or big, floppy hats that can block vision and choose properly fitting shoes. Most importantly, make doubly sure that your kids are accompanied by a responsible and trusted adult.

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, have a happy and safe Halloween!