Have Halloween enjoyable, however put security first

Have Halloween enjoyable, however put security first

Published 10:26 am Tuesday, October 28, 2025

As kids put together to make their annual costumed trek by Elizabethton and Carter County Friday afternoon and night, we ask dad and mom to make security a precedence this Halloween.

Halloween is a enjoyable occasion for children of all ages as they go door to door in neighborhoods dressed of their favourite costumes and amassing treats. Following some common sense guidelines will guarantee a secure and pleased Halloween for everybody.

Parents ought to at all times accompany younger kids or be certain an grownup or accountable teenager is with them when going door to door. There is one statistic that’s scarier than the ghosts, goblins and ghouls who might be taking to the streets to trick-or-treat on Friday: Children are greater than twice as prone to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on another day of the yr, in accordance with the National Safety Council (NSC).

Lack of visibility due to low lighting at night time additionally elements into the equation, particularly when pedestrians are carrying darkish clothes. Motorists ought to take additional precautions when coming into and exiting driveways and alleys, in addition to watch for kids strolling on roadways, medians and curbs.

Drivers needs to be alert for kids in surprising locations by scanning the highway and slowing down. Slower speeds save lives, the NSC advises.

Both metropolis and county legislation enforcement businesses have indicated they are going to be patrolling, however they’ll’t be all over the place.

Youngsters additionally needs to be reminded of some guidelines earlier than they exit trick-or-treating. Make positive they carry a flashlight and have reflective materials on their costumes. Youngsters ought to put on masks that don’t prohibit imaginative and prescient, and masks shouldn’t be worn when strolling from home to accommodate.

Children shouldn’t go trick-or-treating alone. They at all times ought to go home to accommodate in teams. In rural areas the place there aren’t any sidewalks, kids and adults accompanying them ought to stroll on the left aspect of the highway going through site visitors. Older youngsters ought to have an agreed time to return dwelling, and youngsters needs to be reminded to by no means enter a stranger’s dwelling.

It’s essential that kids solely trick-or-treat in acquainted neighborhoods and go to properties the place the porch mild is on.

Youngsters ought to keep off the streets and cross solely at intersections. Too typically, kids have been struck by automobiles and critically injured or killed throughout trick-or-treating as a result of they’ve darted into site visitors at night time. Parents additionally ought to be certain costumes are made from flame-retardant supplies. At the tip of the night, when the kids return dwelling with baggage of sweet, dad and mom ought to examine the sweet, and something that appears suspicious needs to be thrown out.

Motorists, too, needs to be extraordinarily cautious throughout trick-or-treat excursions. Know what these hours are in your neighborhood, and drive extra slowly to forestall accidents.

Homeowners who take part in trick-or-treating ought to be certain their yards are away from issues that kids or adults might stumble or fall over, comparable to decorations, flower pots and chairs.

We must make Halloween as secure as it’s scary. Just bear in mind: There might be a number of excited kids strolling in neighborhoods Friday night and night time, and that may have horrible penalties for them and for drivers who aren’t observant and take precautions.

We hope it is a secure and enjoyable Halloween for everybody. It may be if we’re observant and comply with the principles for a secure Halloween.