• They are more than twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween compared to any other day of the year. 
• 23% of fatalities occur with children between the ages of five and eight.
• 70% of accidents occur away from an intersection or crosswalk.

Whether you're going door-to-door, driving or passing out treats at home, State Farm wants to help keep your little princesses, pirates, and police officers safe this Halloween with these tips:

If you're going door-to-door

• Always accompany young children.
• Exercise great caution during the "scariest" hours - between 5 and 9 p.m. It is especially dangerous for pedestrian accidents between 6 pm and 7 pm.
• Stick to neighborhoods with sidewalks. If you must walk on the street, keep to the far left, facing traffic.
• Practice safe crossing procedures - use crosswalks; wait for corners; and look left, right and left again before crossing.
• Stick reflective tape onto costumes to make your child more visible. Also have them carry a flashlight.
• Make sure costumes and shoes are the correct size to prevent tripping.
• Use face paint and leave the masks at home. They can obstruct vision.
• If an older child is venturing out without supervision, ask them to go with a group. Discuss the route and agree on a curfew. Give older kids cell phones so they can stay in touch.

If you're driving

• Drive slowly
• Be alert for children and eliminate in-car distractions.
• Practice extra caution at intersections and corners.
• Pull in and out of driveways carefully.
• Discuss these and other driving pointers with your teen driver. Drivers ages 15-25 were involved in approximately one-third of fatal crashes involving child pedestrians on Halloween.

If you're handing out treats

• Keep your home brightly lit indoors and outside.
• Clear debris and other obstacles from your lawn, sidewalks and steps.
• Opt for battery-operated candles in jack-o'-lanterns or other areas where costumed trick-or-treaters might stand.
• Keep pets kenneled or in another room.

In addition to protecting children from accidents, remind them of "stranger danger" on Halloween. Teach children to visit only well-lit homes. Tell them to avoid dark streets and to not enter unknown homes. Kids should show their candy to parents before eating it. Homemade treats from people they don't know shouldn't be eaten.

When it came to my baby girl riding the bus to preschool, I imagined so many scenarios – terrible crashes, outlandish kidnappings (I read too many spy novels). But I never imagined the one scenario that has happened TWICE since she started school.

The roads and sidewalks in my subdivision were snow-covered and slippery. It was just after 7 am, the sun was out. My daughter, Morelia, and I slowly made our way to the bus. We were at the end of our driveway – looking both ways, as we have to cross one lane of traffic– when we heard the bus driver blast the horn.

A young driver, clearly reading her phone with her head down, nearly drove straight through the bus’s arm and stop sign.

We all make mistakes. It is so easy to get distracted. But if I wasn’t paying attention, or the bus driver noticed too late, I might not be writing this story. My silly, sweet little girl might not be here at all.

As the young driver looked up at the scene, she saw Morelia and me – and the bus with lights flashing - just feet from her car. She looked mortified. I hope that feeling, that close miss, sticks with her. Her life – not to mention ours - would have changed forever. I hope she will drive safer and be more aware. I hope she will put down the phone.

Not five school days later, similar road conditions and scenario, another driver in my subdivision DOES stop but has an adult tantrum. He’s so angry. The bus driver literally gets out of the bus and stands in front of the car so he cannot drive through the stop sign.

The whole process of the bus stopping, Morelia getting on and settled, and the bus taking off takes three minutes at most even on the iciest of days. I could not believe this person got so angry and animated. Did he really think getting to wherever he was going was so much more important than a child’s safety?

I wondered if my two experiences were common so I did a little digging. In October 2018, an Indiana family’s worst nightmare came true. They lost three children, their six-year-old twin boys and their nine-year-old daughter, in a horrific bus crash.

I cannot even begin to imagine the pain felt since that terrible fall day. That of the parents and family, their town, the bus driver, the school, the list goes on.

The incident drew national media attention. It spawned local legislative and safety discussions, but it seems tragedies like this do not change behavior. Just a few days later, another child was tragically killed. What will it take for the young distracted driver who nearly blew through a bus stop sign and the man who felt his time took precedence over my daughter’s safety to learn the error in their ways?

Every day approximately 84,000 people/cars illegally pass school buses.  That's 15 MILLION violations a year, according to  2018 national survey.

What can we do about it? I’m very fortunate my employer, State Farm, cares about safety. They allowed me to “take over” this site for a day to share my story, and more importantly, share tips that could help prevent future tragedies. Maybe we can’t change everyone’s behavior. But the more we share this story and tips, the more aware people will be. Please join me in sharing this important information.

Bus Safety Tips

For Parents of Riders

• Wait with the little ones at the bus stop. Ensure you and your child are visible at the stop as well.
• Teach your kids to stand - at a minimum - three giant steps from the curb and board one at a time.
• Teach your kids to wait until the school bus completely stops before getting off, and always walk in front of the bus, not behind.
• If your child needs to cross the street after exiting the bus, teach them to take these three actions:
  • make sure the bus driver sees them,
  • take five giant steps in front of the bus,
  • then cross, only when the driver gives them the go-ahead it is safe,
  • And of course, teach them to look both ways before crossing the street.
• Teach your child the importance of behaving on the bus – any distraction can cause the bus driver to lose focus and could result in a crash.

For Drivers

• Be aware of your environment. Know your neighborhood. Be cognizant of kids. Take alternative routes that do not go by schools, etc. if you are in a rush. (Seriously folks, it’s not like you’ve never seen a school bus or it’s all that shocking that a bus is picking up kids at 7:30 in the morning on a Monday!?!)
• Follow the speed limit (and the LAW) especially in school zones and at bus stops.
• Never drive distracted. Please put down your phone. Learn more about the cell phone laws in your state.
• Slow down and prepare to stop if a school bus is flashing its lights. This means the bus is preparing to stop (yellow) or already stopped (red), and children are getting on or off.
• Slow your roll. Three minutes is not worth the potential life-changing consequences for a child, or you.

The shareable, interactive image below shows more tips when you hover over the "+" signs.

Halloween and the tradition of trick-or-treating with children is a perfect time to introduce yourself to a neighbor if they stop by your house with their kids (or vice versa). In a recent Neighbors survey by Harris Poll and State Farm®, one in three Millennials reported they wish they were more connected to their neighbors. But it can also be a scary night for pedestrians and drivers trying to navigate through neighborhoods, especially in the dark. While the following tips are helpful on any day, State Farm encourages drivers to be especially alert on Halloween and designated times in the community when trick-or-treat is taking place. We’ve also teamed up with @SafeKidsWorldwide to help protect kids on the move. Make sure your kids can be seen on Halloween. Check out this video for fun ways to glow: http://bit.ly/2eaxMOF 

Traveling with the Treatsters (Pedestrian Safety) Watch out for kids scrambling for sugar fixes! While the following tips are helpful on any day, State Farm encourages drivers to be especially alert on Halloween. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, on average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween as on any other day of the year.

• Accompany young children, and hold hands when crossing streets.
• Use crosswalks.
• Look left, right and left again before crossing.
• Use a flashlight at night. Reflective tape or bright colors can help children be seen.
• Use sidewalks. If you must walk on the street, keep to the far left, facing traffic.
• Use face paint instead of a mask, which can obstruct vision.

Families could use the back-to-school season as a moment to discuss walking and driving safety tips and the many benefits of walking, including health, wellness, stress-reduction and saving money on gas. Reviewing some simple safety tips like the ones below can help everyone be safer, whether walking or driving.

Reminders for Walkers:

• Use sidewalks. When available, they are the safest place to walk. If there is no sidewalk- walk facing traffic.
• Be visible. Wear bright colors and clothes with reflective materials.
• Keep your eyes up to help avoid trips, falls and not seeing on-coming traffic.
• Use traffic signals and crosswalks whenever possible – it’s much safer, especially in high-traffic areas.
• Watch and follow the pedestrian crossing signal (if there is one), not the traffic signal
• Stop. Look both ways. Look left, then right, then left again before crossing.
• Stay alert and avoid distractions while walking, such as talking, texting, listening to music or using other mobile apps, which take your mind, eyes and ears off of walking.
• Be especially careful at intersections. This is where many drivers may fail to yield the right-of-way while turning.
• Use a flashlight if you're walking at night to light your path and help others see you.

Reminders for Drivers:

• Be aware of children. They are often impulsive and can dart out in the street at any time. Follow the speed limit and be especially cautious around residential neighborhoods and school zones.
• Yield to pedestrians. When making a turn and waiting for an opening in traffic, be aware that pedestrians may have moved into your path.
• Be cautious around driveways and alleys. When entering and exiting, these can be very difficult places to spot pedestrians. Keep a close lookout, and if you can't see clearly, slow down.
• Reduce distractions. Spotting pedestrians requires your full attention. Using a cell phone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, reading a map, or changing the radio station only makes it more difficult and dangerous.
• Approach crosswalks carefully. If a pedestrian is crossing or about to cross, stop well back so drivers in other lanes also have time to yield. Do not pass another vehicle that has stopped for pedestrians.

Driveways & Safety at Home:

• Teach children about safe outdoor play areas at home, away from parked or moving cars.

• Do not allow play in or around vehicles and consider making your driveway a kid-free zone. This can help avoid toys or bikes being left in the driveway, attracting children or creating a hazard for drivers.
• If small children are permitted to play in a driveway, supervise them and use cones or a barricade to help warn drivers.
• Hold hands with small children as they enter and exit vehicles in the driveway, as well as parking lots.
• Check for children before leaving your driveway, especially when driving in reverse, and if possible drive a car that has a back-up camera.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. The information is not intended to replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. Nor is it intended to effect coverage under any policy. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information. We assume no liability in connection with the information nor the suggestions made.