Kids, watch out for cars on Halloween

News Boys Art and Entertainment LGBT+ RSOL Politics Science, Technology, Health Current events Deaths Kids, watch out for cars on Halloween by Staff Writer - October 7, 2022 What dangers really do lurk in the darkness? It’s almost Halloween, which means that law enforcement and news agencies around the country are warning parents about "stranger danger" and individuals and families on the registry, completely overlooking the real danger again. Children are two to three times more likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year. There has never been a case of a stranger abducting a child out trick-or-treating on Halloween. Other urban legends and myths such as poisoned candy and razor blades in candy still persist. Police recently have been warning parents about kids receiving Marijuana based edibles that maybe package like regular candy and contain THC. They have not been able to cited any incidents where this has occurred. The price of these edibles is between 4 to 30 dollars and up for a single small package. Like poison and razor blades, Halloween pot candy being handed out to kids on Halloween is a myth. Many adults and even law enforcement professionals get caught in the spirit if the season, as evidenced by the Creepy clown hysteria of 2016, which resulted in several children and youths being charged with domestic terrorism. As adults, we need to be able to differentiate between the manufactured threats, urban legions, and sensationalism that surrounds the holiday and realize the fact that kids are in no more in danger today on Halloween then they were 50 years ago, and certainly not from "stranger danger". Children are statistically much more likely to be sexually and physically abused and even killed by someone they know or a member of their own family then by a stranger. There have been several instances where children have been abducted by their noncustodial parent(s) on Halloween. Sex offenders in a number of states are required to post signs saying "No Candy", though there has never been a reported case of a registered sex offender taking sexual advantage of a child out trick-or-treating. In 2021, over 1,000 police officers were mobilized to do home checks of people on the registry, on or near Halloween night. This resulted in several arrests for non-compliance. During the same time period, 10 children were struck by cars, several of which lost their lives. There are some strategies for keeping kids out trick-or treating safe, such as: Warn your kids to watch out for cars! Decorating costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers. Using face paint and make-up whenever possible, instead of masks that may obstruct vision. Crossing the street at corners, traffic signals, and crosswalks. Bring a flashlight, glow sticks and if possible a call phone. Use common sense and don't let your own fears and imagination run wild. To lose a child or young friend on Halloween to being struck and killed by a car is tragic in the extreme. The number one thing you can do is write in to your local government to stop fear mongering over imagined threats and use police and political resources to create safe areas for kids to trick-or-treat by blocking off areas to traffic between dusk and 8 - 10 pm. Set up tables, booths, or Halloween carnivals in local parks or open areas, so the kids can go from table to table instead of house to house. These among other efforts can be done to ensure children's safety on Halloween. Sending the police out to check the homes of people on the sex offender registry to see if they are sitting in the dark and have the right sign posted is a waste of resources that need to be put to use to protect kids from the real danger. Yes, there are real dangers in the world but you have to weight them against the likelihood that they will happen or you would never leave your house. In a recent article at reason.com the author writes, "You're more likely to be struck by a meteor than to have your kid abducted by a stranger." Still, news outlets persist on running stories about dangers that are unlikely or nonexistent but how many parents and caregivers are reminded that the real danger on Halloween is cars?