Halloween Safety Event to Keep Trick-or-Treaters Out of Harm's Way

—By Bay City News Service


An event is being held in San Jose this afternoon to remind residents to stay safe during Halloween, when children are particularly at risk of being hit by cars.

When young trick-or-treaters head out to collect goodies, they are more likely to become excited and run into the street without looking, said Benjamin Arias, spokesman for SafeKids Santa Clara/San Mateo.

Children are about twice as likely to be killed by a car on Halloween compared to any other day of the year, according to Arias.

Safe Kids personnel and California Highway Patrol officers will be passing out Halloween treats and safety education materials to children and their parents today from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Capital Chevrolet, located at 905 Capitol Expressway Auto Mall in San Jose.

Children are encouraged to come in their Halloween costumes, and will be given reflective materials to wear Thursday so that drivers can see them better on Halloween night, Arias said.

To be extra safe, trick-or-treaters should wear reflective bracelets with their costumes, carry treat bags with reflecting tape or stickers, and bring along glow sticks that can be seen by drivers, Arias said.

Masks can sometime obstruct vision, so non-toxic face paint or make-up is a better option, Arias said.

Children and parents should cross streets safely at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks, Arias said.

If there are no sidewalks on a street, it is best to walk facing traffic and as far off the roadway as possible, according to Arias.

Adults and children alike should put down their smartphones, keep their heads up, and walk -- not run -- across streets, he said.

Drivers should slow down, especially during the peak trick-or-treating hours of 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., take extra looks at intersections, and minimize distractions such as talking on the phone, texting, or eating in the car, Arias said.

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