Brown & Crouppen is releasing pedestrian safety guidance ahead of Halloween on Saturday, October 31, as children throughout St. Louis prepare to walk neighborhood streets after dark.

The Missouri Department of Transportation recorded 139 pedestrian deaths in Missouri traffic crashes in 2025. Seventy of those fatalities occurred within MoDOT's St. Louis district, which encompasses St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin counties.

Halloween significantly elevates that risk. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics, drawing on 42 years of federal crash data spanning 1975 through 2016, found that pedestrian deaths run 43 percent higher on Halloween evening compared to similar evenings throughout the year. Risk peaked around 6 p.m., and children between 4 and 8 years old faced approximately ten times the danger of an ordinary evening.

Darkness is a central contributing factor. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 76 percent of pedestrian deaths nationally in 2024 occurred after dark.

Drivers are advised to reduce speed on residential streets between 5 and 9 p.m., when trick-or-treating activity is at its highest. Children frequently cross mid-block or step out from between parked vehicles, making attentiveness essential. Turning headlights on earlier than usual is recommended, as many costumes are dark-colored and children may fall below a driver's standard sightline. Distracted driving should be avoided entirely, and extra caution is warranted when backing out of driveways.

Families are encouraged to attach reflective tape to costumes and candy bags and to equip each child with a flashlight or glow stick. Face paint is preferable to masks, which can limit peripheral vision. Crossing at designated corners rather than mid-block reduces exposure to traffic. Children under 12 should be accompanied by an adult, and older children should travel in groups along a route known to their parents.

"As a personal injury attorney, I know how quickly a moment of inattention can change a family's life, especially when children and moving vehicles are involved," said Amanda Sher, personal injury attorney at Brown & Crouppen. "This Halloween, I encourage drivers to slow down, stay alert, and anticipate children entering the roadway, while parents can ensure their children are visible, supervised, and crossing streets safely."

Brown & Crouppen is a personal injury law firm founded in St. Louis in 1979 by Ron Brown and Terry Crouppen. Following Ron Brown's passing in 2022, the firm continues to carry forward the commitment to advocacy and client service established by its founders. Today, Brown & Crouppen's 40 attorneys and 220 legal professionals serve injured individuals and families across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois from nine offices, handling cases involving motor vehicle collisions, workplace injuries, slip and fall claims, premises liability, nursing home neglect, and wrongful death. Beyond its legal work, Brown & Crouppen actively supports organizations focused on housing, food security, youth services, and access to justice throughout the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.brownandcrouppen.com.

Contact Information:

Brown & Crouppen

4900 Daggett Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
United States

Carrie Nielsen
13143120929
https://www.brownandcrouppen.com