Tips to stay safe this Halloween

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The days are getting shorter, so that means when you finally make it out into the streets to get some candy or take in all the decorations, it might be a little harder to see.

Not just for you, but for drivers too.

On Halloween night, streets like Hillcrest will be filled with people looking for candy and a fright.

While the costumes and decorations might be spooky, there’s nothing scarier than a speeding car in low visibility.

“We recommend that children have costumes that have reflective material on them or bright lights,” Kinzie Evrard with Norton Children’s Prevention and Wellness said. “I know sometimes they want those dark color costumes, and if that is the case, find a way to incorporate some reflective tape or reflective stickers into them.”

AAA said Halloween is one of the most dangerous nights of the year for children, and the CDC reports children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year.

“Really talk to them about holding hands when crossing the street,” Evrard said. “Looking left, right, and left again. Not darting in between parked cars or trash cans because it might make it hard for a person in a car to see someone who’s getting ready to cross.”

Places like Hillcrest are hot spots on Halloween, but events and get-togethers happen all across the city.

LMPD says they’ll have their normal patrols, and gave some dos and don’ts for Halloween:

Do:

• Go out with a group.
• Let your parents know where you are.
• Stay in well-lit areas.
• Put your phone away instead of starting at it while you walk.
• Stay in neighborhoods you know.

Don’t:

• Go into the home a stranger.
• Eat treats that look already unwrapped or tampered with.
• Wear a costume that makes it hard to see or be seen.
• Roughhouse around lit jack-o-lanterns.
• Cross the street without first looking for cars.

“Another important thing, is parents make sure the children’s costumes are fitting them well. We don’t want them to be a fall hazard because if they are excited to run to that next house, and they trip and fall, it can be difficult for them to get back quickly especially if a car is coming,” Evrard said.

It’s not just pedestrians that need to make sure to watch their surroundings, drivers need to as well.

Slow down, be alert, stay off your phone, and watch out for people on the street.

When we think of Halloween, we typically think about kids and trick-or-treating, but we all know adults like to have fun as well.

And if you decide to have that adult fun, make sure you have a designated driver or plan to stay overnight.

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