The scariest things lurking around the corner on Halloween aren’t monsters or ghosts. According to doctors, it’s cars. Halloween is one of the deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, .
“There’s a lot of focus on the risks of candy that might be a little misplaced,” said Britney Lombard, an injury prevention manager at Children’s Hospital Colorado. But one thing experts are sure of, she said, is an increase in child pedestrian fatalities on Halloween. “There are a lot of things that they can do to mitigate those risks,” she said.
Here are some tips to make sure Halloween is safe and fun for everyone — from cars to costumes. Walk defensively An easy way to keep yourself and your kids out of harm’s way on Halloween is being aware of your surroundings, Lombard said. That goes for drivers and pedestrians.
“We see a lot of distracted drivers who are on their phones, and we see a lot of distracted pedestrians who may have headphones in or (are) on their phone,” she said. Kids under the age of 12 generally should be with adults when trick-or-treating. Older kids who are out by themselves should be aware of the rules of the road and practice being responsible pedestrians, she said.
That includes staying off phones, making eye contact with drivers before crossing the road and using crosswalks and sidewalks. Lombard also urged people to drive the speed limit, don’t drink and drive and pay close attention to the road — especially at night. “There are goi.
