The Tennessee Highway Patrol will plan for increased visibility and enforcement efforts on Halloween to ensure a safe and happy holiday for all Tennesseans.
 
Last year in Tennessee, no one was killed on Halloween between midnight, Wednesday, Oct. 31, through 6 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. That compares to one person killed in one crash on Halloween during the same time period in 2010.
 
“There is typically a dramatic increase in pedestrian traffic on Halloween," said Bill Gibbons, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. "We want to remind motorists to slow down and watch for children on all roadways. Halloween should be a time for good family fun. However, children, parents and motorists must remember that safety comes first."
 
According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 115 child pedestrian fatalities occurred on Halloween over a 21-year period, beginning in 1990.

That is an average of 5.5 fatalities each year on Halloween. Thirty-two percent of the child pedestrian fatalities occurred with children ages 12-15, while those between 5 and 8 years old accounted for 23 percent of the fatalities.
 
During the 2010 Halloween period, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 41 percent of all highway fatalities throughout the nation involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or higher.

“We will also be conducting increased patrols and using other enforcement techniques to look for aggressive or impaired drivers,” said Col. Tracy Trott, who is with the Highway Patrol. “Partygoers should plan ahead, designate a sober driver. Don’t make the poor decision to get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of deaths among young pedestrians, those younger than 16 years old, is four times higher on Halloween evening than any other evening of the year.

Thirty-eight percent of all young pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and alcohol involvement – either for the driver or pedestrian – was reported in 48 percent of traffic crashes that resulted in pedestrian fatalities.  

"Our goal is to keep children safe from those who blatantly disobey the law this Halloween," Trott said.

As of Friday, there have been 51 pedestrian fatalities in Tennessee in 2012. That’s 18 fewer pedestrian deaths compared to this same time last year.