The deadliest day for child pedestrian accidents is near

Trooper Ben Gardner has taken to Twitter – @TrooperBenKHP – to remind his followers a day meant for candy, costumes and trick-or-treating can turn deadly, and you should be aware.

“Halloween is the deadliest day for child pedestrian crashes,” he tweeted.

The study he tweeted found that 115 Halloween child pedestrian fatalities occurred over 21 years, and it was conducted by Sterling’s BestPlaces for State Farm.

The “deadliest hour” occurs between 6 and 7 p.m., as 26 of the 115 accidents occurred then. Over 60 percent of the accidents occurred between 5 and 9 p.m.

The deadliest place was not at an intersection, but rather in the middle of neighborhood blocks. Over 70 percent of the accidents took place away from an intersection or crosswalk.

“State Farm wants children to be safe every day of the year whether they are inside or outside of a car,” Kellie Clapper, assistant vice president of Public Affairs at State Farm, said in a release. “The analysis of this data highlights the particular need for parents to be especially alert during Halloween.”

Young drivers, ages 15-25, accounted for one-third of fatal child accidents on Halloween.

Gardner has advice for drivers on Halloween:

“During a snow storm we adjust driving

During fog we adjust driving

During THIS we adjust driving.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 9:13 AM with the headline "The deadliest day for child pedestrian accidents is near."