COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
Little ghosts and goblins
will be out on local roads and neighborhoods tonight, but here's a scary
statistic: a recent study says twice as many children are killed in pedestrian
accidents while walking on Halloween than on any other day of the year.
The study was done by a child injury
prevention organization known as Safe Kids Worldwide, and its purpose was to
bring to light real dangers that can possibly ruin an otherwise fun night.
The Columbia Police Department says they
don't keep track of statistics specifically for Halloween, but the dangers of a
child being hit and possibly killed by a car are very real. They say parents
should be having a conversation with their children about the dangers,
including the importance of staying on sidewalks and using crosswalks.
Authorities say children should never go
trick or treating alone. It may sound like common sense, but the study by
Safe Kids Worldwide says 12 percent of kids under the age of five were allowed
to trick or treat alone. Columbia Police say unfortunately it does happens and
most often in neighborhoods where families feel comfortable. However,
authorities say it's easy to forget that people who may usually not be in that
neighborhood are out and about.
Authorities say going with your child will
protect them from all kinds of threats, including the potential for them to
walk out into the road unexpectedly. "The biggest things that we're looking out
for is pedestrian safety, we want children to be safe when they're out trick or
treating and walking about in their neighborhood," said Cpl. Stover. "We also
look for suspicious activity. That's going to be tough to figure out what
suspicious activity is on Halloween, but that's something that our officers
look for, as well," he added.
Columbia police say they always have extra
patrols on Halloween. "Law enforcement do patrol a lot more on Halloween night,
as they do on several other nights of the year because of the simple number of
people out," said Corporal Scott Stover, with the Columbia Police Department.
"There's a greater number of people out on the streets. There's that potential
for mischief that's out there, and the Columbia Police Department will have its
patrol units out in the metro, North, South, East and West regions all out in
force, as well as, some of the special operations groups."
Police say while it's best to get home before
dark, carry flashlights just in case. Officials say the other big thing that
can lead to child injuries is his or her own costume. Safe Kids Worldwide says
40 percent of parents allow their child to use one or more unsafe item on
Halloween, including costumes that are too big, or masks that block vision.
Authorities say makes sure your child costume is not lose fitting, because a
child us more likely to trip or get caught in something.
For more safe Halloween tips visit:
http://www.columbiapd.net/halloween_safety.htm
Copyright 2012 WIS. All rights reserved.
