AAA Texas Offers Tips for a Safe Halloween

HOUSTON--Oct. 27, 2003--AAA Texas is urging motorists to use caution 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. Therefore, motorists need to be mindful of youngsters crossing the streets," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "The end of Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2003th, means it will be dark sooner, making children harder to see. "

AAA Texas recommends the following safety tips for Halloween:

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

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

-- Travel with an adult, 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, an affiliate of AAA National, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas' members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, insurance and financial products, travel agency, 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.