Delaware Office of Highway Safety Spotlights Pedestrian Safety Ahead of Halloween: 17% of Children Killed in 2024 Traffic Crashes Were Pedestrians, 76% of Pedestrian Deaths Occurred in the Dark
The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) on Oct. 26 issued a reminder from Dover, the state capital: October is National Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month, and with Halloween approaching and children trick-or-treating after dark, the office urged drivers, parents and trick-or-treaters to take extra precautions so everyone gets home safely.
Citing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, the office said 17% of children age 14 and younger killed in traffic crashes in 2024 were pedestrians, and 76% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in the dark — the very conditions of Halloween evening trick-or-treating, when visibility is low and risk is concentrated.
The OHS Halloween safety tips include: help kids be seen — carry glow sticks or flashlights, use reflective tape or stickers on costumes and trick-or-treat bags, and choose light-colored clothing when possible; young children should be accompanied by an adult while trick-or-treating; drivers should slow down and stay alert, since excited, distracted children may unexpectedly enter the roadway, especially in residential neighborhoods; remind children to cross at corners and crosswalks and to look both ways; and choose costumes that fit properly to prevent trips and falls, preferring face paint over masks that can limit a child's vision when possible.
Families can also visit the office's Walk Smart page at ArriveAliveDE.com or Safe Kids Worldwide's Halloween page for more traffic safety information. The Delaware Office of Highway Safety works on behavioral traffic safety issues in the state, including impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety and teen driving.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：万圣节夜晚，家长陪同身穿戏服的幼儿上门讨糖（资料图，2012年摄于马萨诸塞州 Milton，非特拉华州现场）。照片：Eric Haynes／马萨诸塞州州长办公室，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A costumed toddler trick-or-treating at night with a parent (file photo, Milton, Massachusetts, 2012; not a Delaware scene). Photo: Eric Haynes for the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
