With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, traffic safety experts are warning of a heightened risk on neighborhood streets. The combination of trick-or-treaters, weekend drivers traveling to social gatherings, and people using e-bikes or e-scooters after dark creates a hazardous environment for pedestrians and motorists alike. AAA advises everyone to slow down, eliminate distractions, and take proactive steps to remain visible.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, children are more than twice as likely to be struck and killed by a vehicle on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Peak trick-or-treating hours run from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., placing many young children on neighborhood roads precisely when visibility drops. Impaired driving further escalates the danger, with NHTSA reporting 201 alcohol-related crash fatalities on Halloween night between 2020 and 2024.
To keep streets safe, drivers should reduce their speed in residential areas, carefully scan crosswalks and driveways, and put away mobile devices. Parents and trick-or-treaters can reduce risks by wearing reflective costumes, carrying flashlights, sticking to sidewalks, and using marked crossings. Meanwhile, e-bike and e-scooter riders should always wear helmets, equip their rides with proper lighting, and travel predictably to protect themselves and pedestrians throughout the evening.
Todd Coppernoll oversees local news for WRCO and WRCE radio in Richland Center. Having served Richland Center as Mayor for three terms, Todd brings a unique perspective, and a familiar voice to the news. The focus is local, and so is the reporter.
Adam Hess has been involved in radio broadcasting since 1990, with many of those years spent on the air at WRCO FM in Richland Center. Currently, Adam hosts the Weekend Wake-up and Prime Mover Saturdays on WRCO FM, jumps in and helps out with news duties, handles Social Media duties for WRCO and WRCE, and is the Director of Technology at a Southwest Wisconsin School District. Reach him at adam.hess@civicmedia.us.
