The deadliest day of the year for child pedestrians.
In 25 years of federal crash records, more children under 18 were killed on foot on Halloween than on any other day, by a wide margin.
80children killed as pedestrians on Oct 31, 2000–2024
43on the next-deadliest days (Oct 25 and Dec 4 tie)
3.1×the rate of an ordinary day; 4.4× in the evening hours
303children died on Halloween in all kinds of road crashes, second only to July 4
Every day of the year
Each bar is one calendar day, with deaths added up across 2000–2024. Hover for the date.
Halloween versus an ordinary day
Average deaths per day, 2000–2024: Oct 31 against every other day of the year.
Oct 31Every other day
Children are hit hardest. Across everyone on the road the increase is small (about 1.1×): Halloween is a day for kids on foot, not a day when drivers die more.
Where it happened
Every pedestrian killed on October 31 from 2000 to 2024 with a recorded crash location. Hover a dot for details.
Under 1818 and over / age unknown
Who dies on the road on Halloween
Does it matter what day of the week Halloween falls on?
Average pedestrian deaths on Halloween, grouped by weekday, next to an ordinary day of that same weekday.
Halloween that falls on this weekdayAny other day that weekday
Every Halloween, 2000–2024
Pedestrians fatally injured on October 31 of each year.
18 and over, or age unknownUnder 18
For all ages, pedestrian deaths peak elsewhere. January 1 (590 pedestrian deaths) is higher than Halloween (553). Halloween's record is for children.