Keeping Streets Safe This Halloween
October 29, 2026
When the kids of Birmingham go out to Trick-or-Treat this Halloween, we want to make sure they enjoy their evening, get lots of candy, and get home safely.
We've already incorporated key safety features into neighborhood streets across Birmingham, including speed cushions, narrower travel lanes, traffic circles, high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian crossing beacons, and improved street lighting. We'll continue building on these efforts by implementing proven traffic calming techniques to slow vehicle speeds, improve pedestrian safety, and create safer, more walkable neighborhoods for everyone.
Be Seen
As daylight fades, drivers' eyes are still adjusting. A child in a dark costume can be nearly invisible until it is too late to stop.
- Add reflective tape to costumes and treat bags, front and back.
- Give every child a flashlight or glow stick so drivers see movement.
- Choose lighter colors and face paint over masks, which can block side vision.
- Cross at corners and marked crosswalks, never from between parked cars.
- Look left, right, and left again, and make eye contact with drivers before stepping into the street.
- An adult should walk with children under 12.
- Heads up, phones down. That goes for parents, too.
Slow Down
A few miles per hour makes a significant difference. Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows a pedestrian struck at 20 mph has about a 93% chance of survival. A person hit at 30 mph is about 70% more likely to die than one hit at 25 mph. Lower speeds also shorten stopping distance, so many crashes never happen at all.
- Drive well below the speed limit in neighborhoods, especially from 5 to 9 p.m.
- Double-check every crosswalk and intersection before turning.
- Anticipate children darting out between parked cars or across the middle of a block.
- Back out of driveways and alleys slowly.
- Turn headlights on early and put the phone away.
- Plan a sober ride home from any Halloween party.
A national study published in JAMA Pediatrics examined 42 years of U.S. crash data and found pedestrians face a 43% higher risk of being killed by a vehicle on Halloween night than on other autumn evenings. For children ages 4 to 8, the risk was 10 times higher. Risk peaked around 6 p.m., right at dusk.
"Most of these tragedies come down to three things: visibility, speed, and the design of the street," said Forrest Johnson, PE, BDOT Deputy Director and City Traffic Engineer. "Families, drivers and cities each control one of them. When all three line up, children get home safe."
