Halloween Safety Tips for Drivers and Trick-or-Treaters

Ghosts, goblins, Transformers, princesses and all kinds of other personas will be out in full force this weekend to celebrate Halloween. Most kids will be trick-or-treating on Sunday evening, but some towns have designated different days and times other than Sunday for trick-or-treating. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind, not just for the kids, but for you as you drive around town this weekend. You’ll want to be particularly careful between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., when most severe collisions occur between vehicles and pedestrians.

Driving Safety Tips:

Don’t text and drive. This is especially important on Halloween, because kids tend to dart across the street unexpectedly. You can’t stop short if you’re not paying attention. Your best bet is to just turn off the phone and park it.

Drive slowly and don’t pass stopped vehicles. They may be dropping off children who have to cross the street.

Yield to pedestrians – especially children. Children get so excited that they don’t always pay attention, even when a grown up tells them to stop or slow down. Watch carefully for children crossing the street.

Use your lights and signals. It is critically important to communicate with other drivers. Use your turn signals. Stop at stop signs. Use your hazard lights if you have to pull over to drop off or pick up kids.


Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips:

Costumes and masks should fit correctly. Otherwise, children may not be able to see through the eye holes in the mask. If costumes are too big, they also pose a tripping hazard for kids who tend to run on Halloween night.

Make them glow in the dark. Have kids wear glow necklaces, reflective tape or something that blinks so they are easily noticeable in the dark.

Teach kids how to cross streets safely. They should look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks – not in the middle of the street.

Stay with your kids. Don’t let really young kids go out on their own, even if you trust your neighborhood. Stay with them so you can remind them to walk – not run – and cross the street in the right spots.

Choose Indoor Alternatives. Many churches and community groups host indoor festivals and trick-or-treating. This is always a fun, safe alternative to trick-or-treating outside in the dark.


Most importantly, have fun. Happy Halloween!