(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Halloween has crept upon us all, crawling into Colorado Springs amidst the chilly morning air. Children’s Hospital Colorado and the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) agree that Halloween is a particularly dangerous holiday for pedestrians, but especially for little goblins trick-or-treating across the Centennial State.
According to Children’s Hospital Colorado, cars are the biggest threat that lurks on Halloween night, due to increased foot traffic and low visibility. As such, the hospital has a few tips for pedestrians and drivers for their haunting evenings.
For those on foot, all children under 12 should be accompanied by adults. Trick-or-treaters over 12 should stay off their phones while walking, use crosswalks and sidewalks, and be sure to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the road.
When making your Halloween haunts, be sure to stick to well-lit homes in familiar areas, avoid going inside strangers’, stay in a group, and, as tempting as it may be, wait until you’ve made it home to start sinking your fangs into your hard-earned candy.
Drivers should be aware to avoid all distractions (especially phones), take extra caution when backing out of driveways, drive slowly, and roll down their windows to listen more closely for children. Drivers, as always, should always stay sober when getting behind the wheel.
“Safety is a shared responsibility. Pedestrians need to use crosswalks, obey traffic signals, and be visible to motorists. Motorists need to drive with the awareness that their vehicle will cause great damage to any pedestrian or bicyclist. There is no contest on who would suffer the most in a crash,” said Col. Matthew C. Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol.
CSP troopers responded to 31 crashes last October in which pedestrians or bicyclists were involved, a 40% increase over 2023’s numbers. Alongside this, state troopers responded to 17 crashes involving an impaired driver, arresting 34 for DUIs on Halloween day in 2024.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has its own list of tips for drivers on Halloween weekend:
Drive slowly around neighborhoods and residential streets, even if you don’t see trick-or-treaters around.
Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive high.
Watch for children who may dart out into the street and always yield to pedestrians. If you see one child, there are likely to be more who are ready to cross.
When driving, ensure your headlights are on—not just your daytime running lights.
Try to park in a spot where you won’t need to back up. However, if you must, have an adult present to ensure no children are in the way of your vehicle when you do.
Don’t use a cell phone, adjust your vehicle controls, or eat while driving. Pull over safely to do all those things, if necessary.
“This year, we anticipate Halloween events throughout the weekend,” explained CSP Chief Packard. “Take the time now to plan what you will do when the party ends. Stay at the party hosts’ place, take a rideshare, or use public transportation. There are many safe options and two scary options. Don’t get behind the wheel if you are impaired or be a passenger if your driver is drunk or high.”
