Halloween Safety
Halloween is one of the most anticipated nights of the year for kids, but Safe Kids’ research* shows some scary statistics on Halloween safety.
- Only one-third of parents talk to their kids annually about Halloween, although three-quarters report having Halloween safety fears.
- On average, twice as many child pedestrians are killed while walking on Halloween compared to other days of the year.
- Eighteen percent of parents use reflective tape on their children’s Halloween costumes.
- Twelve percent of children five years of age or younger are permitted to trick-or-treat alone.
Talk with your goblins about Halloween safety, and how simple precautions can make it a fun and safe night for kids of all ages. For additional safety tips, please visit SafeKids.org/Halloween.
- Children under 12 should trick-or-treat and cross streets with an adult.
- Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the side as possible.
- Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Parents should remind children to watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
- Drivers should slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
*Mickalide, AD, Rosenthal, KM, Donahue, MP. Halloween Safety: A National Survey of Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors. Washington (DC): Safe Kids Worldwide, October 2011.
Safe Kids USA is the first and only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury – the number one killer of children ages 14 and under in the United States.
Safe Kids Southern New Jersey is one of more than 450 state and local coalitions who are part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury.
Cooper University Health Care is the lead agency for Safe Kids Southern New Jersey. Cooper is home to the Southern New Jersey Regional Trauma Center and The Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper, South Jersey’s only state-designated acute care hospital for children. Click here to learn more.