An advocacy group says Halloween is the most dangerous night of the year for costumed kids to be scurrying around our streets. Alan Korn, public policy director for Safe Kids Worldwide, says Iowa children are four-times more likely to be killed in a car-pedestrian accident on October 31st than any other night of the year.
Korn says “That may be surprising to you but if you think about it, it makes sense. Every adult you know is going to be heading home at rush hour. At the exact same time, every child you know is going to be heading out trick-or-treating. That combination can be really deadly, so you want to think about visibility and predictable behaviors on Halloween to make sure it’s both safe and fun.”
The Iowa D-O-T says in the past five years, one pedestrian was killed, six sustained major injuries and 16 received had minor injuries in vehicle/pedestrian crashes in the five days surrounding October 31st. There were 17 other Iowa crashes reported where injuries were possible, but not confirmed. Korn says parents need to be sure their kids can see out their masks clearly and to make certain drivers can see the kids, starting with light-colored costumes.
Korn says “Make sure you accessorize the costume a little bit to take into account reflectivity so that cars can see you. Have parents carry flashlights or have the kids themselves carry glow-sticks or flashlights.” There’s also reflective tape you can buy at any hardware store and place strategically on the costume. He also suggests getting a practical trick-or-treat bag that has reflective tape built-in.
Korn says parents need to beware of possible treat-tampering and should closely check over the candy haul. Korn says it’s not a big issue but it’s still a good idea for parents to sit down at the table with their kids after the trick-or-treating and go through every item, throwing out candy that’s opened along with homemade candy, unless it comes from someone who’s known. For more tips, surf to “www.safekids.org”.
Related web sites:
Safe Kids Worldwide