BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Children are twice as likely to get struck by a vehicle on Halloween compared to any other day of the year. As the weekend approaches community leaders want to share some helpful tips to keep your loved ones safe.
Trick or Treating is a tradition on Halloween, dressing your children up as their favorite character and sending them out to get candy. Halloween can also be a dangerous holiday, here are some tips to keep your friends, and family safe.
As the night falls more children are entering the streets to fill their trick or treating bags. But with more kids out it's important as drivers to look out for pedestrians.
Eric Celedon Sergeant for Bakersfield Police Department said "The biggest concern for us is pedestrian safety....For the families who are going to be outside be very cautious of the vehicles around you. Make sure you have some type of equipment on your costumes to ensure visibility for the passing motorist. We obviously hope kids will follow the rules of the road but they are kids after all they might run out in the roadway."
Community leaders shared some helpful tips to keep your child safe during the night which include:
- Use face makeup instead of mask
- Add reflective tape to costumes and trick or treat bags.
- Use flame resistant costumes and wigs
- When choosing costumes stay away from long trailing fabric
- Have a parent or responsible adult accompanying the children door to door.
Camilla Ranger Community Disaster Program Manager for Red Cross Bakersfield said "One of the other things we have done since our kids were little is we get them glow sticks. We make necklaces and bracelets so if they are ahead of us we can always see which kid goes with our party, because they all have a certain color and glow sticks."
According to the Red Cross children are more than twice as likely to be struck and killed by a car on Halloween than on any other day of the year. It's important children remember to look both ways and when crossing the street
"In a lot of Bakersfield neighborhoods parents will drive up in their vehicle because they are going from neighborhood to neighborhood so they can make sure their children can go trick or treat. One of the things we always taught our kids is as cars are parked on the street make sure you are going to the first one. Go in front, and cross that way so you aren't coming in between the vehicles. We know that is where a lot of kids get hit." said Ranger
Children aren't the only ones who need to be aware during Halloween weekend. Adults who host parties should be aware of their guest and make sure they get home safely if they are drinking.
Celedon says "There's going to be Halloween parties, there's going to be drinking, we fully expect that we want our community to have a fun time. With that being said, we have to do it safely & responsibility. If you are going to be drinking, even if it's one drink. Please use one of the many different resources we have out there. Uber or Lyft to make sure you get home safely. These things are tragic it doesn't just impact that one person driving, it affects our entire community."
And a word of caution for drivers.... be sure to slow down, especially when going through neighborhood streets, as some trick or treaters are difficult to see because they are smaller.
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