Date: October 27, 2009
Halloween is a time for scary stories, and often it’s the grownups getting spooked. Parents hear warnings about stranger danger, razor blades, and LSD in candy bags. There’s even a scientific study on eye injuries from throwing raw eggs. Some folks worry about black cats. But the real danger on Halloween night is one so ordinary it could go unnoticed: motor vehicle traffic.
And in 2009, the danger from car-pedestrian accidents could be higher than ever, because the holiday falls on a Saturday. According to the University of Michigan News Service, children under 15 are 4.5 times more likely to die in a car crash on Halloween than on any other evening of the year, with most deaths occurring between 4 PM and 8 PM – prime trick-or-treating time.
