Halloween can be a frightening time not only because of the ghosts, goblins and other creatures out at night but because children have more of a chance of being injured on Halloween.
That is according to information from State Farm Insurance and a research expert.
Using information mostly from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis from the time period of 1990 to 2010, State Farm said Halloween was the deadliest time for child pedestrian fatalities.
The press release said 115 child pedestrian deaths occurred on Halloween during those years, an average of 5.5 fatalities each year, which is more than double the average of 2.6 fatalities.
Other scary facts include more than 70 percent of the accidents occurred away from an intersection or crosswalk, most of the deaths were for children ages 12 to 15, or 32 percent, followed by children ages 5 to 8.
Drivers responsible for those deaths varied but those 15 to 25 were responsible for about 33 percent of that number, the press release said.
Schuylkill Haven police Chief Jeff Walcott said the numbers don't surprise him about the older children.
Both drivers and children should be aware of their surroundings, he said.
Sometimes children "tend to disregard the rules and regulations of the roads," he said.
A different environment, distractions such as other children and visibility issues could lead to danger, he said.
"You see kids darting in and out," he said as they trick or treat.
Children and their parents should take precautions when out and about, Walcott said.
M. Michael Peckman, spokesman for Schuylkill Health, said historically the hospital has not seen an increase in children visiting the emergency room during Halloween related events.
Safety tips from the Centers For Disease Control
Avoid trick or treating alone.
Use of reflective tape on costumes and bags is recommended to alert drivers
Walk and don't run from house to house
Look both ways before crossing the street
More information can be found at www.cdc.gov/family/halloween