Halloween Safety Tips for Suffield Trick-or-Treaters and Drivers

State and Local police and local firefighters have released several safety tips for parents and children who will go trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

And those who will be on the road.

Here is a sampling:

Halloween Traffic

• Trick-or-treaters will be out Tuesday, Oct. 31.
• Be especially careful between 4 and 8 p.m., when the most severe vehicle/young pedestrian collisions typically happen.
• Drive slowly, and don't pass stopped vehicles. The driver might be dropping off children.
• Park to use your mobile phone. Avoid distractions by waiting until you've stopped to call, text, or use mobile internet sites.

• Watch for children darting into the street. Kids can cross the street anywhere, and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.
• Yield to young pedestrians. Children might not stop, either because they don't see a vehicle approaching or don't know how to safely cross the street.
• Communicate with other drivers. Always use turn signals. And if you have to pull over to drop off or pick up your kids, turn on your hazard lights.

Parents and Trick-or-Treaters

• Look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks.
• Use flashlights and glow sticks, and/or use reflective tape on costumes so drivers can see them.
• Be careful when crossing a street. Make sure to look in both directions and make sure that there are no cars coming.
• Older children should help younger children cross.
• If a street has a stop light, wait until the crosswalk light tells indicate that it's okay to cross, but still check before crossing and look both ways.
• Be careful with a route. Walk on the sidewalk or against traffic on the roadway.

• Cross at street corners, not in the middle of a block.

Most local police departments will be conducting focused enforcement in residential neighborhoods.

Fire Safety

• Plan ahead for children using walkways and make them easily passable.
• Keep decorations far away from open flames.
• Use battery-operated candles or glow-sticks in jack-o-lanterns.

Patch Graphic: Kristin Borden