The No. 1 cause of death attributed to Halloween is not monsters - imagined or real, nor, is it hyperglycemia (too much sugar in the blood). Rather, the No. 1 cause of death attributed to Halloween is by unintentional injury from a pedestrian being struck by a car. According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), pedestrian death is four times more likely during a night of trick-or-treating than on any other night of the year. (Note: USA Statistics) According to the CDC report, Halloween creates a special set of environmental and behavioural risks that make child pedestrian mortality a serious concern for parents and drivers.
These risks include:
• Trick or treating during hours of darkness based on daylight savings time changes
• Door-to-door street crossing at mid-street locations rather than at crosswalks and corners
• Low-visibility costumes and masks that limit side vision
• Halloween mania where costumed figures, promises of candy and a heightened level of holiday excitement creates distractions
• Poor judgement due to age and level of maturity development
• Poor parental or adult supervision
The PC approach to Halloween..:
• Costumes: Choose costumes that aren’t too long or baggy that could cause a child to trip and fall while crossing a street.
• Masks: Avoid vision-limiting full-face masks that can prevent little eyes from seeing oncoming cars. Face paint and makeup are safer alternatives; however, if a mask is a must, enlarge the eye holes to make seeing easier.
• Visibility: Have your child wear bright colors or attach reflective tape to their costumes to make them more visible to motorists. Or, provide them a flashlight or glow stick to increase their visibility. Also, stay away from streets that are poorly lit.
• Pedestrian rules: Remind your child to look in both directions for oncoming vehicles and always use crosswalks rather than cutting across a street from house to house.
• Supervision: Children under the age of 10 should be accompanied by an adult at all times. For older children, try to arrange their trick-or-treating in groups where there’s safety in numbers.
• Planning: Establish a planned route ahead of time noting typical traffic patterns during trick-or-treating hours
HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!
