4 Scary Facts About Car Accidents on Halloween

Spooky jack o’ lanterns, pumpkin-inspired candy, spine-tingling songs and movies, scary costumes are all enough to get you into the Halloween spirit. But, there is another frightening aspect of the October 31 festival that is also very dangerous. We’re talking about the increasing number of car accident fatalities every year, especially after dark on Halloween night.

Children adore the festival of Halloween and wait eagerly to wear their hair-raising costumes and makeup, and excitedly prepare to go trick-or-treating. But, the fact that it is also a festival that can lead to kids being seriously injured or even killed is what dampens the spirit of the festival and adds to the eeriness.

Statistics over the years have revealed that the number of fatalities keep increasing every year. This is also an indication of the fact that the roads are not safe for our children.

So while Halloween is full of spooky fun frights, it also brings with it some real scary risks.

Let’s try and understand some of these risks so we can make an effort to try and prevent road accidents, wherever possible.

1. Late Afternoon and Evenings Are the High-Risk Hours

While early dark evenings add to the general spookiness and create the perfect Halloween mood, they can be deadly for children. The risk of children being hit by a car on Halloween is the highest between 4 and 10 pm.

The darkness makes it difficult for the motorists to control their vehicle if a child suddenly appears in front of their car. The masks and costumes also add to the difficulty. Also, the kids moving from house to house in excitement sometimes fail to see an approaching vehicle and get fatally hit.

2. Kids Are Twice More Likely to Be the Victims Of Road Accidents On Halloween

Sounds surprising? But, sadly it’s the fact. As compared to other days of the year, on Halloween night it is the children who are two times more likely to be injured or killed in a car accident.

One of the reasons for this is that on Halloween night there are more children out on the streets than any other night of the year. Due to the excitement involved in the trick-or-treat they move from home to home and fall prey to cars and SUVs out on the roads. A lot of these vehicles have intoxicated and impaired drivers behind the wheel which compounds the problem on Halloween night.

3. Drunken Driving Is Responsible For 1 In Every 4 Car Accidents

The most risky hours on Halloween are the late evening and night, also the time when a lot of drivers take to the roads in a state of intoxication. They are responsible for at least 25% of the deadly car accidents that take place on Halloween.

If you know you will be drinking at a party it is best to hire a cab or take an Uber or Lyft to return home. This way not only do you save yourself the risk of being caught drunken driving but also end up saving a child or their parent’s life.

4. One Out Of Three Road Accidents Occur at Intersections or Crosswalks

Pedestrian safety and knowledge about foot travel rules is extremely important for children to know. It is this knowledge that can save them from being injured on Halloween.

Teach them well before the festival so they are accustomed to the rules and can recognize signs when out on the road. Not knowing the road rules and about pedestrian safety is what leads to maximum hits and crashes.

A lot of times the kids may dart out right in front of an approaching car, jaywalk, or not follow safety procedures. This is what causes so many road mishaps on Halloween, especially involving young children.

By sharing these road accident facts it was not our intention to scare you. Instead it was our endeavor to shift your attention for a while to understand the dangerous aspect of Halloween and how it can affect a child’s life.

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