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Progressive Insurance Warns That Slithering, Sneaking Ghosts and Goblins Can Make Driving Safely a Frightful Experience

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio, Oct. 23 -- This October 31st, your neighborhood will be literally crawling with creatures -- it's your job to be sure they take their treats home safely! And while the roaming ghosts, goblins and assorted critters aren't real, they do represent legitimate safety concerns for drivers, according to Progressive one of the nation's largest auto insurance companies.

A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control from 1975 to 1996 found that the number of deaths among young pedestrians (ages 5-14) is four times higher on Halloween evening than any other evening of the year. Data from 1999 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports show that:

    * Fatal collisions between motor vehicles and young pedestrians (under
      15 years of age) happen most frequently between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. -
      prime trick-or-treating time;
    * Eighty-four (84) percent of deaths among young pedestrians occurred at
      non-intersection locations (indicating children are most likely to dart
      and dash from mid-block into the street); and
    * Of the 4,906 pedestrian/motor vehicle fatalities in 1999, 517 were young
      pedestrians.  Of those, 62 percent were male.


To help everyone bring home treats -- not tragedies -- Progressive offers these 10 tips for a safe Halloween:

    1.  Know when your neighborhood is holding Halloween activities.  The
        actual holiday falls on a Wednesday this year, so some neighborhoods
        may opt to conduct trick-or-treating on the previous Friday, Saturday
        or Sunday evenings.

    2.  Don't use a cellular telephone while driving through neighborhoods. A
        single distraction could lead to a tragedy.  A recent countrywide
        survey by progressive.com shows that 46 percent of respondents report
        having swerved into another lane and 41 percent say they sped up while
        driving alone and talking on their cell phone.

    3.  Stay well below the posted speed limit during trick-or-treating hours.

    4.  Do not pass other vehicles that have stopped in the roadway. Other
        vehicles could be dropping off children.

    5.  Be intersection alert.  Children could be crossing the street.

    6.  Never assume a pedestrian approaching the roadway will yield to your
        vehicle. Children may not see your vehicle approaching or might not be
        familiar with crossing roadways.

    7.  Make sure other drivers can see you. If you're driving a group of
        children, but staying in the running vehicle at curbside, be sure to
        put on your four-way flashers to alert other motorists.

    8.  Make sure other drivers can see the children. Give the children
        flashlights and glow sticks or use reflective tape on their costumes.
        These items will help the children make their way in the dark and
        ensure that drivers see them.

    9.  Be sure your children know how to cross a street. Instruct children to
        look both ways before crossing the street and to cross only at corners
        or crosswalks.

    10. And, lastly, take advantage of your community's Halloween safety
        programs. Most communities offer Halloween activities for younger
        children that keep them out of harm's way. Your community may also
        offer a service that inspects candy to ensure that it is safe for
        children to eat.


Progressive (NYSE: PGR - news), headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio, is one of the nation's largest auto insurance companies and the leading provider of insurance services and products via the Internet. In business since 1937, the company provides all drivers with competitive rates and 24-hour, in-person services.