Scary, but common Halloween accidents Houston parents can look out for 😱

Sure, Halloween is “Spooky Season,” but it’s also meant to be a fun experience. To keep things enjoyable, it’s also important for people to be aware of real-life dangers.

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Some of the most common accidents might not even cross our minds.

“Halloween is an exciting holiday for a lot of people, especially children,” Max Coupland, the CEO of Insuranceopedia.com, an insurance comparison website, said in a statement. “However, this excitement often comes at the cost of caution. As people are out celebrating in their own ways, they let their guard down and this lack of risk aversion can lead them to seriously injure themselves, or those around them. This Halloween, make sure to take necessary safety precautions so that you can enjoy the holiday without ending up in an Emergency Room.”

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Here are just 5 common accidents that happen on Halloween and how to prevent them, as gathered by Insuranceopedia.

1.) Child pedestrian fatalities

According to data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, there is a 43% increase in the risk of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween, compared to a normal evening. In fact, between 2011 and 2020 more child pedestrians were killed by cars on Halloween than on any other night of the year.

These statistics are easily explained. Halloween sees much higher than average foot traffic on the streets, as children and young adolescents venture out to engage in trick-or-treating.

Children pedestrians can cause huge issues for drivers. Halloween masks can obscure the visibility of children, leading them to cross roads without properly looking to see what’s coming their way. Children are also more difficult to see by drivers, due to their smaller size.

How to avoid a child pedestrian fatality

Most pedestrian fatalities on Halloween occur between the hours of 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. This is usually the time that children are out trick or treating. If you are out during this time, pay close attention to your child and make sure they are keeping a close eye on the road.

If you are a driver out on the roads, consider reducing your speed when going through residential streets.

Parents should make sure that their kid’s costume is bright, so they are easily visible to drivers.

Many cities have started to close some of their roads to cars, during Halloween. Jackson Heights in New York closes roads to cars on almost 100 streets each year.

This has apparently led to a 42% decrease in car accidents around Halloween. As a concerned parent or citizen, you can petition for a similar program in your neighborhood.

2.) Drunk driving fatalities

Along with an increase in pedestrian fatalities, car crashes also increase significantly on Halloween. In fact, the smallest increase in traffic fatalities for Halloween, between 2005-2019, was 21% compared to a standard day. The highest increase was a whopping 40%.

According to the NHTSA, 44% of all car crashes that occur on Halloween are a result of drunk drivers.

While children are out trick or treating, the adults are drinking alcohol. Unfortunately, many of these drinkers get into their car and drive home under the influence.

How to prevent drunk driving accidents

This year, Halloween will fall on a Thursday. Statistics show that weekdays are more deadly during Halloween than on weekends. Therefore, it’s especially important to take every precaution to reduce the possibility of being involved in a drunk driving accident.

If you are planning on drinking this year, avoid driving to or from the venue. Alternatively, you can book yourself an Uber ride home, get public transport, or ride with a friend. Just be responsible and never get in your car if you’ve been drinking.

If you are a pedestrian out trick or treating, keep your visibility lines clear by removing your mask while walking near the road. Keep a watchful eye on the road at all times.

3.) Peanut allergy/ER visits

Halloween is also the deadliest night of the calendar year for kids suffering from nut-based allergies. The Canadian Medical Association Journal discovered that peanut-related allergic emergencies jump 85% on Halloween

When kids are out trick or treating, they get given all kinds of chocolates and candy. A lot of these chocolate bars have nuts in them, which a lot of children are allergic to. If a child has a peanut (or other nut) related allergy, then they can become seriously sick and end up in the emergency room.

How to prevent a peanut-related visit to the ER

If you’re a parent, join your children when they’re going trick or treating. This way, you can look at the ingredients on any candy bars that they get given and throw away ones that have nuts in them.

If you are buying chocolate to give out to children, consider only buying chocolate that has no nut ingredients.

4.) Pumpkin carving accidents

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 55% of all Halloween related injuries which send people to the U.S. Emergency Department are related to pumpkin carving.

How to prevent pumpkin carving injuries

Make sure you carve your pumpkin in a well-lit area, this way you can have good visibility when carving.

Make sure you supervise your children when they are carving their own pumpkins.

5.) Trips and falls

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, trips and falls account for the second highest quantity of injuries on Halloween.

There are around 3,200 Halloween injuries which send people to U.S. Emergency departments every year. 25% of these injuries are from people falling while putting up Halloween decorations, or tripping on their costumes.

How to prevent trips and falls on Halloween

• Keep your lawn free from decorations that can obstruct or trip up trick or treaters.
• Make sure your kid’s costume isn’t long enough for them to trip over.
• Try to keep on accessible walkways that are well-lit and have even surfaces.
• Finally, make sure that your child’s mask allows them to see their surroundings properly.