Drivers and trick-or-treaters have several ways to stay safe this Halloween by focusing on the task at hand, according to traffic-safety specialists.

A new law effective since June bars drivers from using a cell phone or any other mobile device while at the wheel of a vehicle – holding in their hands or with an arm or shoulder – either while the vehicle is moving or while stopped at an intersection for a light or a sign. That includes operating the device by more than a single touch when it’s mounted on a dash or connected to a vehicle’s built-in dash system.

Children are two times more likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.

A statewide survey of 2022 traffic incidents by Troy-based Transportation Improvement Association shows 57 people were killed and 5,905 seriously injured in 15,441 in distracted-driver crashes.

Drivers using a hand-held device are 4 times more likely to get into a crash serious enough to cause injury according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash.

“Sadly, many people have lost a loved one to a completely preventable behavior.,” said Jim Santilli, TIA’s CEO and Michigan’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission’s distracted driving action team commissioner. ‘We can all do our part by keeping our eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all times.

Drivers ticketed under the new cell-phone safety law face $100 fine and/or 16 hours of community service. A second ticket carries a $250 fine and/or 24 hours of community service and a third ticket for this violation within three years of the first ticket include fines, community service and a required driving-improvement course.

Fines are doubled if a driver using a phone or other digital device causes a crash. Drivers also face a careless-driving citation, which can add fines and three points to their driving record.

AAA published these Halloween safety tips

Drivers and passengers:

1. Remain seated. Use seatbelts, even when parked on the side of the road.
2. Designate a navigator who can check maps, take pictures, or do anything that will take the driver’s attention off the road, pull over or delegate those tasks to a passenger.
3. Drivers should focus on driving and maintaining a safe speed. Even going a few miles over the speed limit greatly increases the risk of injuries for cyclists and pedestrians in a crash.
4. Watch out for trick-or-treaters, such as signs of children’s shoes or costumes behind other vehicles in case they’re crossing the street between parked cars.

Trick-or-treaters

1. Use light-colored clothing or costumes to be as visible as possible. Add reflective material or tape to costumes to increase visibility. Carry glow sticks or flashlights for higher visibility and to light the path ahead.
2. Look both ways when crossing the street. Use crosswalks, especially those at traffic signals. Keep an eye on the road while crossing it. If older children are out independently, remind them not to cross the street mid-block or run between parked cars in neighborhoods.
3. Pocket the cellphones while walking to focus on supervising younger children. Share social media updates for before or after trick-or-treating. Use sidewalks but if they aren’t available, walk facing traffic and stay as far to the left as possible.
4. Before buckling young children into their seatbelts, remove bulky costumes or winter coats. Bulky clothing can interfere with car seat harness safety in a crash.