Halloween Traffic: Child Deaths At Double Rate, Data Shows
A 15-year federal data analysis found child pedestrian deaths on Halloween run at twice the rate of other nights, prompting warnings from law enforcement across the Kansas City metro.
By Jenna Mitchell ·
Halloween night carries a specific danger for children on foot, and police in the Kansas City metro are warning families about it before trick-or-treating begins. An analysis by MoneyGeek of 15 years of National Transportation Safety Board data determined the count of child pedestrian fatalities on Halloween runs at double the figure for any other day of the year.
Lawrence Cpl. Maurice Henry, now a school resource officer, responded to one Halloween call about a child hit by a car at an apartment complex. "I believe the kid was five years old and he just darted across the street while the car was coming and he got struck by the car," Henry said. The child was not seriously hurt. Henry, who has two elementary school children of his own, described why drivers need to stay alert. "Kids get excited and they just run out in the street. They want to get to the next house. They don't think about oh there might be a car coming," he said. "They just want to go get their candy."
Henry also pointed to visibility problems created by costumes. He suggested raising a mask before crossing a street, carrying a flashlight, and using glow sticks. "My kids are big on glow sticks and I'm sure all kids love glow sticks," Henry said. "If they don't want to wear a glow stick necklace, they can put glow sticks on the bag." Police also advise staying on sidewalks, crossing at marked crosswalks or intersections, and avoiding homes with porch lights off.
Lights-off homes carry a second meaning in Missouri. Registered sex offenders in the state must keep porch lights off, and some offenders in Kansas under probation or parole face the same rule. Law enforcement across Clay County will check on known offenders Halloween night after sending letters last month outlining requirements: stay inside from 5 to 10 p.m., have no Halloween contact with children, and keep exterior lights off after 5 p.m. The Clay County Sheriff's Office counts about 420 registered sex offenders in the county. Last year, its "Operation Lights Out" effort found 17 offenders violating the rules.
The Lawrence Police Department is focused on a separate window of time. Halloween falls on a Saturday, and the end of daylight saving time that same night means clocks fall back, turning midnight into 11 p.m. The department expects bars to stay busy and open an hour later than usual as a result.
