With Halloween stores popping up all around town, you’ve probably realized the holiday is just a few short months away. Soon, kids will be piling into cars and walking around neighborhoods in their handmade and store-bought costumes. While that’s great for the economy and a good way for neighborhoods to come together, it’s also a danger to the children who participate in the holiday.
There are many reasons why Halloween is dangerous for children, from costumes that aren’t flame retardant to glow-stick injuries that cause toxic poisoning. The news reports a particular concern about the risks of choking and candy-related incidents, too.
Although these are high risks for kids, it’s neighborhood traffic that could really cause the most issues. This is particularly true if your neighborhood’s Trick-or-Treat is held at night, when it’s harder to see pedestrians.
Children are twice as likely to die from being hit by a car on the eve of Halloween than at any other time during the year. Many children wear black, and, when compounded with the high number of children running around from door-to-door, drivers may not see them until it’s too late.
Most accidents happen between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Halloween. It’s common to see accidents as the sun sets, since drivers have a harder time seeing from the glare of the sun. If you plan to take your child out to gather treats at that time, be sure to keep a close eye on him or her as well as the traffic in the area. If an accident does happen, then you’ll have first-hand knowledge of what happened to make a claim against the negligent driver.
Source: U.S. News, “The Real Horrors of Halloween,” Kimberly Leonard, accessed Sep. 01, 2017