Be prepared for Halloween Dangers: Beware of trick-or-treaters as well as impaired drivers

Pay extra attention to trick-or-treaters, especially in and around residential areas this Halloween. 

Here are some helpful tips to remember this Halloween:

• Drive below the speed limit, especially in neighborhoods
• Watch for children running around parked cars
• Scan far ahead in traffic to watch for children
• Be aware that costumes and masks may hinder a child’s vision, and they may not be able to see your vehicle

Halloween is a holiday for many children but adults participate in their own festivities. The combination of party-goers and trick-or-treaters in neighborhoods can be dangerous. Halloween is consistently one of the top three days for pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Last year on Halloween night in Virginia, two people died and 65 were injured in 155 automobile accidents. Twelve of the crashes, 10 of the injuries and one of the deaths were alcohol-related. According to NHTSA, 44 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, which is illegal in every state.