Halloween Is One of the Deadliest Nights for Child Pedestrians. Walk the Route With Your Kids.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. A CDC study found child pedestrian deaths quadruple on Halloween evening. Here are safety tips.
The facts come first below. My opinion follows in the section marked as opinion.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, which means more children on more streets for more hours. For drivers and parents, that calls for extra care. Halloween is one of the most dangerous nights of the year for young pedestrians, and federal safety officials offer a few simple habits that can lower the risk.
What the numbers show
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of federal crash data from 1975 to 1996 found that from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, 89 pedestrians ages 5 to 14 were killed. On average, four children in that age group died during those hours on Halloween each year, compared with an average of one during the same hours on every other day of the year, the CDC reported. The agency said the count may be low because it left out crashes in driveways, parking lots and on sidewalks.
The CDC explained why. Most Halloween activity happens after dark. Children going door to door often cross in the middle of the block instead of at corners. Dark costumes are hard for drivers to see, and masks can block side vision and hearing. Children also face limits that last until about age 12: they are small, they choose the shortest route rather than the safest, and they may believe a painted crosswalk protects them. Parents, the report added, may "overestimate the ability of their children to negotiate traffic independently," the CDC wrote.
Alcohol adds to the danger. In 2024, nearly half of all crash deaths on Halloween night were alcohol-related, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Tips for families
The CDC's recommendations remain good advice:
Plan a route in a neighborhood you know, and have an adult go along with younger children. Children should carry flashlights, stay on sidewalks, cross at corners and not between parked cars, and stop at every corner as a group before crossing. Choose bright, reflective costumes, and consider face paint instead of a mask. Older children should have a curfew, visit only well-lit houses and stay on porches rather than going inside. Bring treats home so parents can check them before eating, the CDC advises.
Tips for drivers and hosts
NHTSA urges drivers to be alert for trick-or-treaters, slow down and scan the road, and watch for children in unexpected places, since they "may be unaware of traffic and dart into the street unexpectedly." Party hosts should offer non-alcoholic drinks, collect car keys from guests who are drinking and make sure everyone gets home safely. Anyone who sees a drunk driver should contact law enforcement, NHTSA says.
Opinion: The best costume accessory is a parent
Every safety list says some version of the same thing, and the CDC said it plainly almost 30 years ago: children need "constant adult supervision" during trick-or-treating. That is not overprotective. It is the job.
Children are a gift, and the Bible treats them that way. "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD." A heritage is something you guard. On Oct. 31, that means walking the route with your kids, holding the little ones' hands at the curb, and putting the phone in your pocket.
Drivers carry a responsibility, too. A few extra minutes behind the wheel on a Saturday night will not hurt anyone. A few miles an hour too fast on a street full of small ghosts could ruin many lives. Slow down in neighborhoods, and if you are going to a party, settle who is driving before the first drink. Better yet, skip the drink if you are behind the wheel at all.
Some Christian families skip Halloween, and some go to church trunk-or-treats instead. Those are good options, and well-lit church parking lots have the added benefit of being safer than dark streets. Whatever your family decides, the goal is the same: every child home safe, with a full bag and a good memory.
And remember, this year clocks do not fall back until the morning after Halloween. For what to know about that change, read Daylight Saving Time Ends Nov. 1, 2026: Rules and Sleep Tips.
