Safe Halloween Driving Tips to Protect Trick-or-Treaters

If you find yourself out on the roads this Halloween, it’s important to stay alert and be mindful that you could be sharing the road with excited trick-or-treaters. Here are the best safety tips to ensure you and the kids in your neighbourhood make it home safely. 

When You’re Driving

1. Drive Slowly: Any time you’re driving in residential or school areas where children are playing or walking, it’s best to slow down. This is especially true on Halloween.
2. Turn off Your Cell Phone: You already know the dangers of distracted driving. You should never drive while talking or texting on your cell phone. This puts you, other drivers and pedestrians at risk.
3. Stay Alert: In their excitement to get to the house across the street, it’s possible an eager trick-or-treater could dart out in front of your car. Keep an eye out for pedestrians at all times. Just because they’re on the sidewalk doesn’t mean they will stay there.
4. Back Up Carefully: Look behind you before putting the car in reverse and only move once you have confirmed it’s all clear.
5. Communicate With Drivers and Pedestrians: At intersections and crosswalks, communication between drivers and pedestrians or drivers and other drivers can go a long way in preventing an accident. Clearly gesture or even roll down the window to let others know you’ll wait for them to pass.

When You’re Trick-or-Treating

1. Pick Costumes With Safety in Mind: Look for costumes that are visible to oncoming drivers in the dark and that don’t have long trails or other tripping hazards. Also keep in mind that temperatures are cooler on Halloween, so pick a costume that’s warm. Or as many of us in the north know, it may be worth wearing a costume big enough to fit over your winter clothes.
2. Supervise Children at All Times: It’s best to stay with your kids the entire time they are going door to door to collect candy.
3. Remind Children to Look Both Ways: You may have told them a thousand times, but again, with candy on the brain, safety when crossing the street is the last thing on your child’s mind.
4. Check candy before eating: Even if you’ve lived in the same neighbourhood for years, always check your child’s candy before they eat it.