Halloween is one of the deadliest days for pedestrians. What else you need to know to have a safe spooky season

Halloween is just around the corner. Soon your kids and their friends will undergo an autumnal transformation and become ghosts, witches and superheroes.

But did you know that Halloween is one of the deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, especially children?

The risk of pedestrian fatalities is 43% higher on Halloween. And Halloween night is a perfect storm of risk. It involves darkness, heavy pedestrian traffic, especially that of children, and many additional distractions.

And here’s something else you might not know. While puffy Halloween costumes and outfits look super cute on our kids, when it comes to driving around doing tricks and collecting candy, all that excess material can compromise the ability of your child’s car seat to keep them safe. hinder in the event of a collision.

If your child’s costume causes too much extra slack in the harness or interferes with your ability to secure it properly with the chest clip and crotch buckle, CR recommends that you wait until you arrive at your final destination before donning the costume.

Decorative contact lenses, such as vampire or cat eyes, can make a costume stand out, but they can be risky and cause serious eye damage if not used properly.

The Food and Drug Administration advises… “Never buy contact lenses from a street vendor, beauty salon, flea market, novelty store or Halloween store” – and you should always have a prescription.”

A homemade costume saves a lot of money, but if it is too big your child could trip, so adjust it so it fits properly. And avoid masks that block vision.

Also add reflective tape to suits and bags. And give kids glow sticks so they can be seen more easily on dark and spooky Halloween nights.

Stay on sidewalks rather than walking between cars or lawns, where tripping hazards can arise.