Halloween Safety Tips

Many kids and families look forward each year to going trick-or-treating at Halloween. Unfortunately, the increased pedestrian traffic on the holiday, particularly during and after sunset when visibility is reduced, raises the risk of pedestrian fatalities. The risk is especially high in Arkansas, which has the fourth-highest roadway fatality rate in the nation. Pedestrians accounted for more than 10% of the 4,089 people who died in roadway accidents in the state between 2016 and 2022, according to an ACHI analysis of crash data.

The following tips are intended to help ensure trick-or-treaters get home safe and sound this Halloween.

Wear Safe Costumes

Choose bright, reflective costumes so you and your children will be more visible to drivers. You can also increase visibility by applying reflective tape or stickers to costumes or trick-or-treat bags and by carrying glow sticks or flashlights. Avoid masks, hoods, or overly large hats that can obscure vision. Make sure costumes aren’t so long they can cause tripping.

Trick-or-Treat Safely

An adult should accompany young trick-or-treaters. If teenagers are going trick-or-treating without an adult, plan a route and establish a time for them to return home.

Teach your children to obey all signs and signals, cross the street only at crosswalks or intersections, and look for cars in all directions. Trick-or-treaters should stay on sidewalks as much as possible, but when no sidewalk is available, they should walk on the far edge of the roadway facing traffic. Remember that cars may not stop for pedestrians because they may have difficulty seeing them. Warn your children of the dangers of getting distracted by texting or looking at their phones while walking.

Finally, make sure your children know to stick with their group, avoid dark or unfamiliar areas, only go to homes where the porch lights are on, and never enter a stranger’s home or vehicle.

Drive Cautiously

Even if you are not engaged in trick-or-treating, it is important to drive cautiously. Drive slowly in residential areas and scan the road for pedestrians. Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully. Watch for children who may dart into the street unexpectedly. After the sun starts to go down, watch for children in dark clothing.

More Halloween safety tips are available on the websites of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Safety Council.