Pedestrian deaths increase on Halloween in the U.S.

JAMA Pediatrics
Published October 30, 2018  11:00 EDT (News release from JAMA)
Using U.S. highway traffic safety data from 1975 to 2016, researchers compared how many pedestrians died in traffic-related accidents the evening of October 31 each year to similar deaths one week earlier and one week later. Six hundred and eight pedestrians died on the 42 Halloween evenings and 851 on the 84 comparison evenings – averaging four additional pedestrian deaths on Halloween each year. Kids aged 4 to 8 were at highest risk. Absolute risk of pedestrian fatality declined over time.

Canadian co-authors: John Staples, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver – jstaples1@providencehealth.bc.ca, john.a.staples@gmail.com; Donald Redelmeier, University of Toronto – dar@ices.on.ca