3 ways to stay safe as a pedestrian on Halloween

Halloween is here, which means it is time to dress up and have fun. Whether you are taking your children trick-or-treating or you are going over to a spooky party, it is crucial for you to be safe when you are walking around. Drunk or inattentive drivers can hit you or your children and cause serious injuries. 

Forget about haunted houses and ghosts – ending up in a hospital bed on October 31st is the scariest thing that could happen to you. Follow these tips to be a safe pedestrian this Halloween.

1. Use the sidewalk

Always walk on sidewalks when they are available. Even if it is crowded with other trick-or-treaters, do not walk on the road. However, certain neighborhoods or roads may not have sidewalks. In this case, your safest bet is to walk facing traffic all the way to the side. This way you can see oncoming cars and step out of the way if you see a threat. 

2. Cross the street safely

Use crosswalks whenever they are present and wait for traffic signals indicating for you to walk. Before crossing the street, make sure all cars stop, because some drivers may not be paying attention. If you must cross a street that has no crosswalk, Forbes recommends crossing the road at corners to be safe on Halloween.

3. Make yourself and children visible

If you will be walking around with friends or going to a party, use the flashlight function on your smartphone when it gets dark. Consider wearing a costume that is reflective or bright. If your kids are going trick-or-treating, apply reflective tape to their costumes and give them flashlights to carry around. 

You may want to get scared a little bit for festivities, but you never want something tragic to happen. There may be an uptick in drunk drivers on Halloween night, so follow these tips to keep yourself and kids safe.