MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — This October 31st, your neighborhood will be literally crawling with creatures — it's your job to be sure they take their treats home safely! And while the roaming ghosts, goblins and assorted critters aren't real, they do represent legitimate safety concerns for drivers, according to Progressive, one of America's largest auto insurance companies.
A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control from 1975 to 1996 found that the number of deaths among young pedestrians (ages 5-14) is four times higher on Halloween evening than any other evening of the year. Data from 1999 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports show that:
- Fatal collisions between motor vehicles and young pedestrians (under 15 years of age) happen most frequently between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. — prime trick-or-treating time;
- Eighty-four (84) percent of deaths among young pedestrians occurred at non-intersection locations (indicating children are most likely to dart and dash from mid-block into the street); and
- Of the 4,906 pedestrian/motor vehicle fatalities in 1999, 517 were young pedestrians. Of those, 62 percent were male.