Look before you cross the Trick or Treat street

Yes, protect the children against contracting H1N1 from Halloween treats (or giving it to someone else). Carefully, while remembering that the real horror of Halloween is pedestrian deaths.

Liz Szabo writes for USA Today:

Children are more than twice as likely to be killed by a car while walking on Halloween than any other night of the year, according to Safe Kids USA. More than 540 kids under age 14 are killed in pedestrian accidents each year. In an analysis of deaths from 2002 to 2006, the group found an average of 2.2 children are killed in pedestrian accidents from 4 to 10 p.m. on Halloween, compared with one child every other evening at the same time.

Halloween is the most dangerous day of the year for kids because they're out in large numbers and wearing costumes which are not designed to make them visible to motorists.

In addition to pedestrian safety, get the H1N1 vaccine before making your traditional Trick or Treat trips, follow the other Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tips and use this teachable evening to train the children in how to be and remain flu-safe.