Print your own English/Spanish Halloween safety tips bookmark by clicking here.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of deaths among young pedestrians aged 5-14 years is fourfold higher on Halloween evening (4 p.m. – 10 p.m.) when compared with the same time period during all other evenings of the year. Because excited trick-or-treaters often forget about safety, motorists and parents must be even more alert.

Halloween Safety Tips 

Keep these in mind when you’re sending your goblin out trick-or-treating.

• Wear a costume that makes it easier for you to walk, see and be seen. Light color costumes are best.

• Select costumes, masks, wigs, or beards made of flame retardant materials (check the labels).

• Avoid flimsy, lightweight fabrics and costumes with billowing skirts or loose baggy sleeves.

• To be seen easily, use retro-reflective tape on your costume.

• Use makeup instead of a mask.

• A mask may keep you from seeing well, so make sure to take it off before crossing the street.

• Plan your trick-or-treat route ahead of time. Pick well lighted streets and tell your family on which streets you will be trick-or-treating.

• Ask a parent, older brother or sister to trick-or-treat with you.

• If someone older cannot go with you, trick-or-treat with a group.

• It’s best to trick-or-treat when it is light outside.

• Carry a flashlight with you, so you can see and be seen easily.

• Cross only at corners. Never cross between parked cars or mid-block.

• If there are no sidewalks, always walk facing traffic.

• Wait until you get home to sort, check, and eat your treats.

Motorist Safety Tips 

• Avoid traveling through residential areas. If possible, try to avoid cutting through residential areas where trick-or-treaters are likely to be present.

• Obey all traffic signs and signals. The risk of killing a pedestrian increases more than many people realize with just small increases in speed. A pedestrian is nearly twice as likely to be killed if they’re hit by a car going 30 mph compared to if they’re hit at 25 mph, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. What seems like a small difference—just 5 mph—can literally be the difference between life and death.

• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. In dark costumes, they'll be harder to see at night. Also, be aware that trick-or-treaters may not be paying attention to traffic and may mid-block or between parked cars. Motorists should scan far ahead when driving in residential areas, watch for children and cautiously monitor their actions. Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible - even in the daylight.

Need Adobe Acrobat?