Halloween is by far most dangerous day for kids, especially in rural areas that lack sidewalks, lights

Lights make it easier for drivers to see kids. (Party City photo)

Halloween can be one of the most dangerous days of the year for children, especially in rural areas that lack sidewalks or adequate street lighting. On average, twice as many children are killed by a car walking on Halloween than on any other day, reports Safe Kids Worldwide, a research group that advocates for childhood safety.

The most important safeguard is to make sure children are visible to drivers. This can be done by having them carry glow sticks or flashlights, wear reflective tape or stickers and choose light colors, Jennifer Wetzel reports for the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Parents should make sure children are not wearing masks that obstruct their vision, or loose clothes that cause them to trip when crossing the street. If there are no sidewalks, children should walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible and should only cross the street at corners and use traffic signals and crosswalks, if available. For more tips, click here.

Last year 52 percent of all highway fatalities from 6 p.m. on Halloween night to 5:59 a.m. on Nov. 1 involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 or higher, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.