Beware on Halloween

The statistics are shocking. Children are twice as likely to die on Halloween than any other day of the year as they trick-or-treat along our streets. That’s according to a 2012 State Farm analysis of more than 4 million fatalities between 1990 and 2010. (An older study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was even scarier: Children were four times more likely to die on All Hallows’ Eve while walking.) More than a quarter of the deaths occurred between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., State Farm found, with 70% happening in the middle of the block, away from a crosswalk or intersection.

According to the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 3,200 Halloween-related injuries send people to U.S emergency departments every year.

Here's how the most common injuries break down:

• 55% are related to pumpkin carving
• 25% are due to falls while working with decorations, tripping on costumes and walking while trick or treating
• 20% are miscellaneous situations like lacerations, ingestions, and other injuries related to costumes, pumpkins, decorations, allergic reactions and rashes.

HOW TO KEEP THE HAUNTING FUN

Pumpkin carving

• Kids should not be carving the pumpkins. If children want to participate in the process, let them scoop out the insides or draw the face.
• Use battery-operated lights or glow sticks instead of open-flame candles in your jack-o-lanterns.
• If using an open-flame candle, keep the lantern away from combustible materials like curtains, costumes and decorations, and never leave a candle unattended if it's lit.

Decorating

• Use battery-operated lights or glow sticks to prevent fires.
• Pay attention to the placement of decorations.
• Remove obstacles from lawns, steps and porches if you're expecting trick-or-treaters.
• Use caution on ladders when putting up or taking down decorations.
• Always check lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires or loose connections and dispose of damaged lights.

Driving

Always drive extra carefully on Halloween by slowing down and staying alert for unpredictable actions from excited kids, taking extra time at intersections, medians and curbs, navigating driveways slowly and carefully, eliminating distractions and turning on your headlights earlier than usual. On October 31st, child pedestrian fatalities more than double compared to the average number that take place on any other day of the year, including the Fourth of July and New Year’s Day. Therefore it is crucial that drivers are aware of the heightened risk to kids and pedestrians in general, and modify their driving accordingly—e.g. slow down, stay extra alert, and do not allow any distractions such as cell phones and music.  

It should go without saying, but avoiding alcohol while driving is also key to staying safe—both as an occupant of a vehicle and a pedestrian. NHTSA statistics show that during a four-year period, 14% of all pedestrian deaths on Halloween involved drunken drivers. Overall, the agency says Halloween drunk-driving fatalities are on the rise, with 44% of all people killed in car crashes on Halloween night involving a drunk driver.

Food Allergies

One in 13 children under the age of 18 in the United States has food allergies. Chances are high one of those kids will visit your house for a treat.

Milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish and shellfish are responsible for 90% of allergic reactions, according to the Food Allergy Research and Education group. Some of those reactions can be deadly. Many candies are off limits for children, either because they contain one of the top allergens or because of the danger of cross contamination.

To meet the needs of all your trick-or-treaters, you can join the Teal Pumpkin project, which suggests having non-food treats on hand, such as glow sticks, bubbles, stickers or markers. Then hang a teal pumpkin outside your home so kids with allergies will know you are allergy-safe.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• 18% of the people who die in fatal crashes on Halloween are children
• Pedestrians have a 50% higher chance of dying on Halloween than on the average day
• Weekday Halloweens have 11% more fatal crashes than weekend Halloweens
• Saturday Halloweens are safer for driving than the typical Saturdays

This year, Halloween falls on a Tuesday, which according to data from the AutoInsurance Organization, is the second most deadly day on which to celebrate the holiday, falling only behind Friday. There were 14 child deaths out of the 39 total in 2006 (Halloween fell on a Tuesday), making it the second deadliest Halloween for children (35.9%). However, since 1995, the majority of Halloween nights totaled between five and nine child deaths in traffic accidents. Surprisingly, Saturday is the safest day to trick-or-treat, and there is a growing movement to always celebrate Halloween on Saturdays.

CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEY

If your child is injured while celebrating Halloween, contact Dave Thomas at The Thomas Law Firm.  He is an experienced personal injury attorney, and offers a free evaluation of your legal rights.