One of the busiest pedestrian nights means drivers must be extra vigilant, according to Intermountain Health and Spot The Tot experts.
(PRUnderground) October 31st, 2025
It’s Halloween, and Intermountain Children’s Health experts are asking everyone to make sure trick or treaters cross the street safely, can be seen in the dark, and drivers take extra steps to Spot the Tot.
Kids are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year, said Ashley Castañeda, a community health child advocacy coordinator at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.
Here are some Halloween safety tips for drivers and pedestrians from Intermountain Children’s Health and Safe Kids Worldwide:
Trick or Treat Safety
- Have trick-or-treaters carry glow sticks or flashlights, and wear reflective tape or stickers on costumes.
- Full face masks can limit a child’s vision; consider makeup or face paint instead.
- Adults should go with trick-or-treaters under age 12, and help kids use crosswalks.
- Daylight is always better for pedestrians. Trick or treat before dark, then head home for another activity.
- Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
- When crossing the street, put electronic devices down and keep heads up.
- Walk across the street, don’t run!
“It’s also important to watch little ones when they unwrap and eat their treats, Castañeda said. “Candy is one of the most common causes of choking in children, and choking is often silent.”
Halloween Spot the Tot for Drivers
Adopted by safety advocates around the world, Spot the Tot is an Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital program that helps prevent drivers from accidentally rolling over a child as they pull away from a curb or driveway. In the past decade, more than 60 Utah children have been killed and more than 500 have been injured by these accidental backovers and frontovers.
Here are some Spot the Tot tips to help motorists be extra careful on Halloween night:
- Walk all the way around the car before you get in to ensure children are not behind you.
- Turn off distractions, including your mobile phone and music.
- Roll down the windows and listen for children.
- Ask an adult to stay with kids while you exit a driveway.
- Consider backing into the driveway during daylight hours to eliminate the need for backing up.
For more information, got to Intermountainhealth.org/childsafety.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, over 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/.
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Original Press Release.
