Dearborn, Michigan (October 29, 2015) — AAA is sending out its annual statewide Trick or Treat Street Safety Alert for Halloween weekend with a reminder to Be Smart – Be Safe – Be Seen on Halloween. Halloween can be one of the most deadly nights of the year for both pedestrians and motorists. With the increased number of pedestrians trick-or-treating and potentially impaired party goers behind the wheel, it makes for a scary combination.
 
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatal injuries from motor vehicle crashes rise nearly 50 percent when Halloween falls on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday.  NHTSA also reported that 48% of all motor vehicle crash fatalities on Halloween night in 2012 involved adrunk driver.
 
In a recent AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey, over 60 percent of Michigan parents that were surveyed reported that they are not more concerned about their children’s safety  because Halloween falls on a Saturday.  Current traffic safety data cautions otherwise.  As children take to the streets to trick-or-treat, their risk of being injured by motorists increases greatly. NHSTA also reported that Halloween is consistently one of the top three days for pedestrian injuries and fatalities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that children are four times more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle on Halloween than any other day of the year.
 
AAA’s statewide efforts are focused on an amped up awareness of traffic safety during Halloween weekend. Excited trick-or-treaters often forget about safety. AAA encourages motorists and parents to be vigilant and even more alert during this time and heed these safety tips.
 
 
Trick or Treat Street Safety Tips
Be Smart – Be Safe – Be Seen on Halloween
 
Motorists
  • Drive sober.  Alcohol-impaired drivers make up about one-third of all motor vehicle deaths resulting in an average of one death every 45 minutes. Always designate a sober driver if you plan to drink. Visit www.PreventDUI.AAA.com to learn more.
  • 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.
  • Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. In dark costumes, they’ll be harder to see at night.
  • Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
  • Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
  • Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
  • Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and front porches.
Parents and Other Adults Caring for Children
  • Ensure an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise children under age 12.
  • Plan and discuss the route your trick-or-treaters will follow.
  • 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.
  • Establish a time for children to return home.
  • Tell children not to eat any treats until they get home.
  • Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
  • Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and visible with retro-reflective material.
Trick-or-Treaters
  • Be bright at night – wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and treat buckets to improve visibility to motorists and others.
  • Wear disguises that don’t obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic 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.
  • Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it facedown in the treat bucket to free up one hand. Never shine it into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
  • 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.