Safety Tips for a Spooky Night

Basic Safety Tips for Motorists, Parents and Trick-or-Treaters this Halloween

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Oct 28, 2014, 07:05 ET

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Oct. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Halloween is a night filled with candy, costumes, a bit of fear and a lot of fun, but it can also be a dangerous night if you don't take the proper safety precautions. With ghosts, goblins, vampires and zombies roaming the streets, it's important that motorists, parents and children all take steps to be safe.

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"Halloween is a magical evening where kids get to transform into anything they want to be," said Allstate's Executive Vice President of Product Operations Steve Sorenson. "But it's most important for them to be safe. By following a few basic safety tips, everyone can do their part to make the holiday a memorable occasion for all the right reasons."

Unfortunately, on Halloween one of the real horrors occurs when individuals choose to drink and drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2008-2012, more than half (51 percent) of all crash fatalities on Halloween night involved a drunk driver or motorcycle operator.

To prevent a true nightmare from happening, NHTSA and National Safety Council offer advice for motorists, parents and kids to help ensure that only the costumes are scary on Halloween.

Tips for Motorists:

Designate a sober driver or, if impaired, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to get home safely.
Be especially alert and cautious when driving on Halloween because of the high number of pedestrians.
Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs, and darting out from parked cars.
Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.
Avoid using cell phones while driving.
Avoid driving if inexperienced. Halloween, with all its distractions, can be a challenge for teen drivers with limited time behind the wheel.

Tips for Parents:

Review all appropriate pedestrian and traffic safety rules with children.
Make sure costumes, wigs and accessories are fire-resistant.
Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to make sure they are visible if children are out after dusk.
Make certain that masks have large eye holes and nose and mouth openings. Parents should encourage children to remove their masks before crossing the street.
Provide well-fitting costumes and shoes to avoid trips and falls.
Make certain that knives, swords and other accessories are made from cardboard or flexible materials. Children should not carry sharp objects.

Finally,

Travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and avoid trick-or-treating alone.
Carry flashlights with fresh batteries to help children and motorists see more clearly.
Look both ways before crossing the street and use established crosswalks whenever possible.
Walk on sidewalks and not in the street. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the far edge of the road facing traffic.
Use extra caution if it's raining and roads are slippery.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names and Allstate Financial business segment. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate^®." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2013, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $29 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.