Steamboat Springs law firm ranks Pueblo, Cañon City, Colorado Springs as among state’s ten most dangerous cities for Halloween
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Being rated as one of the state’s most dangerous communities for trick-or-treating likely won’t please three southern Colorado cities that made the list.
But that’s where Pueblo (1st), Cañon City (7th), and Colorado Springs (9th) appear on the list from a recent study by The Brown Law Firm of Steamboat Springs.
Fountain (11th) barely missed that list.
The firm specializes in criminal defense and personal injury cases; spokesman Chris Cooke explained why the firm conducted the study and released the results three weeks ago.
“This is the first year,” he said. “Someone had asked us which areas had the least amount of accidents. We Googled it and couldn’t find anything, so we gathered the data!”
Cooke added that it’s not the firm’s intent to scare people away from trick-or-treating.
“While there are many things to be scared of on Halloween, trick-or-treating should not be one of them,” he stated. “That said, kids are excited, some are wearing masks which block vision, and some are out late running across the street in dark clothing.”
Police in Pueblo and Colorado Springs declined to respond directly to the study results.
“I would say that when information comes out, it’s important to always look at the data and understand that data can be spliced and diced in many different ways,” said Derek Wilson, a public information officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department.
The firm based its study results on statistics from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the U.S. Census Bureau, and two national safety sources.
However, CDOT said that much of its crash data is preliminary and subject to change; the agency also said that more crashes happen in the fall than during any other season because of shorter daylight hours and more people participating in fall activities.
According to CDOT data, Pueblo had only five crashes involving vehicles, pedestrians, or cyclists during Halloween week; by comparison, Denver County had 23, Arapahoe County had 19, Weld County had 9, and Adams County had 7.
What the law firm, CDOT, and police agree on, however, is not taking safety for granted.
Police advise trick-or-treaters to wear costumes that are easy for drivers to see and don’t interfere with children’s vision.
“They can take a flashlight, wear glow sticks, reflective tape on their costumes or candy bags,” said Sgt. Chris Alarid suggested, a Pueblo police public information officer.
Police ask that drivers be especially careful and avoid being distracted by alcohol or cellphones.
“Be careful backing out,” Wilson advised. “This is one of those things that we all overlook. We’re looking to back out of our driveway. But again, Halloween is one of those times when you have a lot of folks who are walking — maybe more than normal.”
Wilson added that parents following their trick-or-treaters from vehicles should stay on the side of the street, and that pedestrians should stay on sidewalks and use crosswalks as often as possible.
KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior found mixed reactions in the Steel City to the study.
“We’ve never really had trouble because we always have someone watching us,” said one resident.
Another resident recalled a trick-or-treater hit by a car last year.
“They were a freshman, and it was really sad. They weren’t hurt, but it was just really scary.”
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