Halloween's extra hour raises safety concerns

Halloween is this Saturday, but so is the end of Daylight Saving Time. 22 News reporter Nick Antonakis joins us live in studio now with the added risk parents need to keep an eye out for. Yeah, Julia, it's a double whammy of sorts when it comes to road safety on Halloween this year. It's usually a dangerous holiday for pedestrians in general, but the clocks going back an hour could add another element. With trick-or-treaters and costume party-goers filling the streets on Halloween night, the risk on the road ramps up. This year, it's a double whammy. On top of the increased number of pedestrians out walking around on Halloween, this year's spooky celebrations fall at the end of daylight saving time. It's kind of a recipe for potential disaster on the roadway. We do have some concerns about folks out and about for Halloween on the road, dressed up, pedestrians, and the potential for impaired driving. AAA says between 2014 and 2025, a total of 236 pedestrians of all ages were killed in Halloween crashes. Just last year in Massachusetts, there were 12 pedestrian crashes between October 31st and November 1st, resulting in seven injuries. The rare overlap of the Halloween holiday and daylight savings time coming to an end has parents thinking ahead about potential risks. Definitely go along with our children, making sure that they're enjoying the activities where there's a lot of different parents and family and different adults around, making sure that everyone's looking out for our kids. They should definitely have something that glows. That definitely helps. And they should stay close. Always keep an eye on them. Make sure they go into neighbors' houses they know. The Trunk and Treat at the YMCA in Wilbraham on Thursday morning is festive fun that eliminates a lot of parents' concerns, whether that be kids walking in the streets at night or at all. But regardless, the reality is that Halloween itself is still ahead. Think about where you're trick-or-treating. Try to pick an area or a neighborhood where there's decent pedestrian infrastructure, busy roads without sidewalks or poor lighting, maybe places that you'd want to avoid. So stay safe on the roads, whether you're trick-or-treating or not. Working for you, Nick Antonakis, 22 News.