While you are out and about on this upcoming Halloween evening, please be sure to watch out for children that are taking part in the many festivals around town. According to Safekids Worldwide, “on average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year.” Below are some safety some tips to assist in keeping everyone safe.

• Put electronic devices down and keep your heads up to know where you are walking.
• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Teach children to make eye contact with the drivers before crossing in front of them.
• Always walk on sidewalks. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far left as possible.
• Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
• Have children carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
• Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers.
• Wear light colors, if possible for costumes and choose face paint instead of masks due to masks obscuring the children’s vision

Driving Tips for Halloween:

• Popular trick-or-treating times are in the early evening so be especially alert for kids during these hours.
• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways slowly being on the lookout for children.
• Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
• Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn on headlights earlier in the day to spot children at greater distances.

These are just a few important tips to keeping children safe on Halloween,
for more information, contact Spalding County Fire Department at 770-228-2129.