AAA Texas Offers Tips for a Safe Halloween.

News/Feature/Lifestyle Editors & Automotive Writers

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 2002

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 wearing costumes and masks often can't see on-coming traffic. The excitement of running from house to house for treats may cause youngsters to abandon normal traffic precautions," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "The end of daylight saving time over the weekend means it will be dark sooner making children harder to see. Motorists need to be alert for children crossing streets."

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

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

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

-- Travel with a parent, or a responsible older child.

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

-- Carry a flashlight.

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

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

AAA Texas is offering trick-or-treat bags and bookmarks (English & Spanish) in its district offices throughout the state, while supplies last.

AAA Texas, an affiliate of the American Automobile Association, 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, 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.