TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2018 /CNW/ - The only thing scary about Halloween trick-or-treating should be the spooky costumes.

As children gear up to head door-to-door this Halloween, Parachute, Canada's national charity dedicated to injury prevention, and FedEx Express Canada are urging children, parents and drivers to be extra vigilant on the roads.

For 17 years, Parachute and FedEx Express Canada have been delivering Walk This Way, a national awareness campaign to remind parents and drivers about road safety and to ensure children walk safely on Halloween, and every day, in their neighbourhoods.

The good news is that fewer children are being injured as pedestrians in Canada. There has been a 30 percent drop, on average, in the number of children hurt on our roadways comparing 2009 statistics with the most recent national stats available from 2014. The bad news is that, on average, more than 1,700 kids a year still are hurt, and more than 20 children die, each year. Pedestrian incidents remain a leading cause of injury-related death among Canadian children.¹

"We need to remember that pedestrians are 284 times more likely to be killed or injured in a collision with a vehicle than motorists – pedestrians, especially children, are the most vulnerable," said Steve Podborski, President and CEO of Parachute.

The month of October sees the highest number of child pedestrian injuries in Canada, with an average of 175 children hurt in this month.²

"We know more than half of pedestrian fatalities occur at night or when there are low-light conditions," said Pina Starnino, Vice President of Operations at FedEx Express Canada. "And, there are more children on foot trick-or-treating on Halloween compared to other nights of the year, which means they might be at an increased risk for pedestrian injuries and fatalities. We want to encourage parents and their children to be extra vigilant to ensure children get home safely at the end of the night," she added.

Walk This Way also stresses the importance of reminding drivers to slow down and pay attention to speeds, especially in residential areas. Parachute and FedEx Express Canada are offering these safety tips before your children head out on Halloween:

• Have children wear reflective items such as glow sticks, wristbands, and tape to help them be more visible to drivers.
• Use non-toxic face paint and makeup instead of masks, which can obstruct a child's vision.
• Always cross at crosswalks, street corners and intersections while trick-or-treating.
• Drive slowly in residential areas where children are more likely to be.
• Adults or older children should walk with young children since they may lack the skills to navigate streets on their own.

Parachute is generously funded by FedEx Express Canada to provide the Walk This Way pedestrian safety program year-round, providing education, resources and support for parents and community groups to increase the safety of their streets.

For more information and an infographic, visit parachutecanada.org/Halloween

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. FDX provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $67 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 425,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.

About Parachute

Parachute is Canada's national charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries. Injury is the No. 1 killer of Canadians aged 1 to 44, where one child dies every nine hours*. The financial toll is staggering, with injury costing the Canadian economy $27 billion a year. Through education and advocacy, Parachute is working to save lives and create a Canada free of serious injuries. For more information, visit us at parachutecanada.org and follow us on Twitter Facebook Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Parachute

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