AAA Texas Offers Halloween Safety Tips

IRVING, Texas--Oct. 2, 20046, 2004--AAA Texas is asking motorists to slow down and watch out for children trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Children are four times more likely to be hit and killed by an automobile on Halloween than any other night of the year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Nationally, the leading cause of death among children remains motor vehicle crashes. Pedestrian injury remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

"Children can easily get caught up in the excitement of trick-or-treating and abandon normal traffic precautions," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "We urge motorists to be alert for children crossing the streets this Halloween."

AAA Texas recommends that parents consider the following safety tips when helping their children prepare for Halloween:

-- Wear light-colored or reflective costumes or trim costumes with reflective tape.

-- Wear make-up instead of a vision-restricting mask.

-- Purchase a costume or other accessories that has "Flame Resistant" on the label. This does not mean that the item will not burn. It indicates that it will resist burning.

-- Costumes should always be short enough to prevent children from tripping or falling down.

-- Remember, you can always give out other goodies besides candy, such as pencils, stickers, erasers, etc.

-- Walk in a group. Don't run.

-- Children should travel with a parent, or a responsible older child.

-- Carry a flashlight

-- Cross the street carefully at corners and never in the middle of the block, or between parked cars.

-- Start early when it is still light, and finish before it gets dark.

AAA Texas, an affiliate of AAA National, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, travel agency, financial products, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing, trip planning services and traffic safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on AAA Texas' Web site at www.aaa-texas.com.