Consumers spend about $3.2 billion in costumes, 2.7 billion in decorations and another $2.6 billion in candy each year on Halloween, making it one of the more popular holidays.1 It may be surprising to some that Halloween is also actually one of the most dangerous days of the year. For example, Halloween has 17% more crime-related home insurance claims than any other time of the year. Additionally, auto insurance claims are twice as high for Halloween vandalism.2

Here are the top three risks posed on Halloween that we need to anticipate and prepare for:

  1. Children’s safety. Pedestrian deaths as a rule escalate between 5 and 11:59 p.m. on Halloween to four times the norm, and 4- to 8-year-olds are especially at risk – twice more vulnerable than at other times.3 Safety precautions should be encouraged whatever the age of the trick or treater. Reflective tape should be applied to costumes, for example, and they should always go in groups accompanied by parents. Kids of all ages should not leave home without a flashlight or glow stick. Older trick-or-treaters are also vulnerable – in some respects more so because of the distractions of their cell phones. They need to be reminded of safety precautions, too.
  2. Drunk drivers. Halloween statistics compiled by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) show 14% of all pedestrian deaths and 44% of all car crash deaths involved a drunk driver.4 With the majority of child pedestrian deaths caused by drivers aged 25 to 25, it makes a case for keeping less experienced drivers away from cars on Halloween. (And alcohol abuse by drivers of all ages should be monitored.)
  3. Fire hazards compound Halloween risks. Sandbag candles and jack-o’-lanterns lit with a live flame from within can set property and costumes on fire in a blink. It’s why the U.S. has mandated that flame resistant materials be used for all costumes, wigs, masks and accessories sold here. They may burn, but the flame should be easier to extinguish. A two-year government snapshot of Halloween fires shows about 10,100 fires were reported each year during a three-day holiday window, causing an estimated 30 deaths, 125 injuries and $125 million in property loss.5

Halloween can still be an enjoyable, fun holiday. But keeping known risks in mind will certainly help make it less “scary”. If you want to discuss your overall risk and insurance needs, contact a HUB advisor today.

1 https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/26/health/halloween-health-risks/index.html
2 https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/vehicle-vandalism-peaks-on-halloween-with-nearly-twice-as-many-claims-as-usual
3 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/halloween-isnt-just-scary-its-dangerous-2018-10-30
4 https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/drunk-driving/buzzed-driving-drunk-driving/halloween
5 https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/reports/snapshot_halloween.html