The Deadliest Day for Young Pedestrians

According to an article by Christopher Ingraham, "like poison and razor blades, Halloween pot candy is largely a myth. The real threat to kids on Oct. 31 is much more mundane: traffic. Children are three times more likely to be struck and killed by a car on the holiday than any other day of the year, according to the latest federal highway safety data."

"A Washington Post analysis found that 54 pedestrians younger than 18 were struck and killed by an automobile on Halloween from 2004 through 2018. That compares with 16 on a typical day."

Another study, released earlier this year in JAMA Pediatrics, "found that children ages 4 to 8 were about 10 times more likely to be killed in the evening on Halloween than they were during other autumn evenings."

According to the conclusions offered in the article, the high rates of fatalities on Halloween reflect the larger trend of increased pedestrian fatalities year round. The latter study referenced above emphasized the need for safer road design in lowering the number of childhood fatalities.