Halloween parties, kids on streets a deadly combo: Study

Trick-or-treaters beware: Halloween can be deadly for pedestrians, and children face the greatest danger.

University of B.C.-led research published Tuesday reports a 43 per cent higher risk of pedestrian deaths on Halloween night than on other nights near that date.

The study was based on four decades of U.S. traffic data, including 608 pedestrian deaths on 42 Halloweens.

The B.C. traffic researchers launched the study after noticing advertisements for Halloween parties posted to lampposts. That got them thinking about a dangerous witches’ brew: holiday revellers driving away from bars mixed with “legions of kids roaming the streets” in costume, said the lead author, Dr. John Staples of UBC.

Staples and colleagues used U.S. traffic data because it is remarkably complete. The study appears in JAMA Pediatrics. Using U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, the researchers compared pedestrian deaths on Halloween nights with deaths on two evenings the week before and the week after. They found four more pedestrians are killed on average on Halloween than on other days.

Kids aged 4 to 8 faced the highest risks in the new study: There were 55 Halloween deaths in this age range compared with just 11 on control days.

“That age group is maybe particularly excited about Halloween and maybe in the midst of that excitement loses track of the very real danger that vehicles pose,” Staples said.

Deaths peaked near dusk, around 6 p.m.

Dr. Donald Redelmeier, a study co-author from the University of Toronto, offered some advice: Attach reflective patches to costumes, carry a flashlight or glow stick to be more visible, make sure masks don’t obstruct vision, and look both ways before crossing the street. The study authors also advised motorists against consuming alcohol, marijuana or other drugs.