Brown & Crouppen Shares Halloween Pedestrian Safety Tips for St. Louis Families

Missouri recorded 139 pedestrian deaths in 2025, 70 in the St. Louis district, and research finds pedestrian deaths run 43 percent higher on Halloween evening.

ST. LOUIS, Mo., October 26, 2026 — Brown & Crouppen is sharing pedestrian safety guidance ahead of Halloween on Saturday, October 31, when children across St. Louis will be out walking neighborhood streets after dark.

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

Halloween compounds that risk. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics, drawing on 42 years of federal crash data from 1975 through 2016, found pedestrian deaths are 43 percent higher on Halloween evening than on comparable evenings. Risk peaked around 6 p.m. Children between 4 and 8 years old faced roughly ten times the risk of an ordinary evening.

Darkness is the common factor. Nationally, 76 percent of pedestrian deaths in 2024 occurred in the dark, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

What Drivers Can Do

Slow down on residential streets between 5 and 9 p.m., when trick-or-treating peaks. Expect children to cross mid-block and to step out from between parked cars. Put the phone away. Turn headlights on earlier than usual, since costumes are often dark and children are short enough to fall below a driver’s sightline. Take extra care backing out of driveways.

What Families Can Do

Add reflective tape to costumes and candy bags, and give every child a flashlight or glow stick. Choose face paint over masks, which block peripheral vision. Cross at corners rather than mid-block. Children under 12 should trick-or-treat with an adult, and older children should walk in groups on a route their parents know.

“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.”

About Brown & Crouppen

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