Pedestrian accidents, drunk drivers make Halloween truly scary
Ask anyone what the scariest part of Halloween is and you will probably get answers like zombies, ghosts or goblins. However, the truly scary things about Halloween include drunk driving and pedestrian accidents, USA TODAY reports.
These days, adults are just as crazy about Halloween as kids are, and they like to celebrate the event with alcohol. The National Highway Safety Administration warns that Halloween has become a troublesome night for drunk driving as the number of fatal accidents associated with drunk driving rises from the usual 30 percent to almost 50 percent on American roads.
Since Halloween falls on a Friday this year, officials warn that there could be even more drunk drivers on the road than usual. Adults who plan to drink at Halloween parties should be sure to arrange a sober ride home ahead of time in order to avoid causing a potentially deadly accident.
Additionally, the total number of pedestrian accidents also spikes on Halloween because of all the foot-traffic involving trick-or-treaters. According to State Farm, Halloween sees the most fatal pedestrian accidents involving young people of the entire year, with double the deaths as a regular day. Twenty-percent of these fatalities involve drunk drivers.
For these reasons, parents should talk to their children about staying safe while trick-or-treating. One easy tip from the non-profit Safe Kids Worldwide is to have children take a cellphone with them while trick-or-treating but warn them not to use the devices while walking, especially when crossing the street.
Check back later this week for more Halloween safety tips for parents, drivers and pedestrians.
Source: USA TODAY, “Scary stuff: Halloween hazards are not just for kids,” Kim Painter, Oct. 26, 2014