Mass. — As kids take to the streets for trick-or-treating this Halloween weekend, safety experts are warning that phone use while driving is a scary combination that needs to be avoided.
“On Halloween, I can understand the temptation to snap some photos or check the directions while you’re driving, but it’s one of those things that we need to plan ahead and make sure that we don’t use our phone while we’re driving,” emphasized Mark Schieldrop from AAA Northeast.
The numbers paint a grim picture.
“We looked at over 48 million trips from the past five Halloweens, and we found that these risky behaviors start around when trick-or-treating begins and then they increase throughout the night,” said Matt Fiorentino with Cambridge Mobile Telematics.
The company looked at data derived from cell phone and vehicle analytics. It found that distracted driving on Halloween jumped by 6% between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Hard braking spiked by 7.5% between 5 and 6 p.m.
“When you see an increase in hard braking, that’s actually when people were looking up from their phones or some other distraction and realizing they’re about to hit something and need to slam on the brakes,” explained Fiorentino.
The danger didn’t end once kids were back home. As the adults head out for their Halloween plans, CMT found another surge in phone use.
Distracted driving increased by nearly 9% between 8 p.m. and midnight. Hard braking surged by more than 14% during those late-night hours.
For those who will be behind the wheel this Halloween night, Fiorentino suggests putting the phone in Do Not Disturb mode and then putting the phone away.
He also recommends slowing down, especially in popular trick-or-treating neighborhoods. As for the trick-or-treaters themselves, AAA Northeast recommends making sure those kids in costume can be seen, and carrying a flashlight while walking.
Trick-or-treating in a group also means there are more adults to watch the roads as the kids dart from house to house.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW