AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR / KCIT) – According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Halloween safety should begin before any tricks or treats. Keeping safety in mind during a scary season, the department offered some tips for families to stay safe during a sleight of hand:

• Wear reflective tape
• Use glow sticks
• Take a flashlight
• Cross the street with well-lit corners
• Pay attention to your surroundings and make sure your children are clearly visible to oncoming traffic

More Halloween Safety Tips can be found here, said the department.

In the Amarillo region throughout 2021, several people were struck and killed by vehicles while walking on or near a road. More recently, a nighttime crash Monday resulted in the deaths of a woman near I-40 and Whitaker, whose body was later found by a construction worker.

In June 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that road crash fatalities in the United States had peaked in 13 years, even though people had driven fewer miles due to the COVID-pandemic. 19. Despite the 13% drop in vehicle kilometers traveled, pedestrian fatalities remained stable and cyclist fatalities increased by 5%.

In response to the increase in pedestrian fatalities in Texas, officials from the State’s Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) have launched a campaign to raise awareness and promote safe practices for drivers and pedestrians, which, according to the authorities, are among the most vulnerable road users due to a lack of protection.

According to TxDOT, other tips for pedestrians to stay safe on the roads include:

• Cross the street only at intersections or crosswalks. Look left, right, then left again before crossing
• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing – don’t assume drivers see you!
• Obey all traffic and crosswalk signals
• Use the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic
• When you walk, put away electronic devices that take your eyes and ears away from the road

For drivers, advice from TxDOT included:

• Give way to pedestrians, especially on bends
• Pedestrian stop at pedestrian crossings
• Be careful when passing buses or other stopped vehicles
• Avoid distractions and put the phone away

TxDOT said from 2015 to 2019, traffic accidents killed more than 3,000 pedestrians. In the Amarillo region alone, as of September 20, 2021, there had been 53 road fatalities.

For the second year in a row, TxDOT continued to meet its goal of zero fatalities on Texas roads by 2050.