Trick-or-treaters should stay in groups so that drivers have an easier time seeing them, says OPP Provincial Constable Dave Holmes.
Holmes is offering some safety advice for families and motorists to make sure everyone has a happy Halloween.
“There’s more safety in numbers,” Holmes says. “It’s easier to see a group of people than it is to see one person.”
Holmes says parents should consider adding some high-visibility reflective tape to kids’ costumes or shoes, so they can be seen easily by anyone with their headlights on.
“For parents that are trick-or-treating with their kids, stay with the children when they’re crossing the road,” he adds. “If you have other parents with you, the practice I use with my children is that one parent will walk out onto the road, make sure it’s safe, and then tell them ‘Okay, you can cross,’ and everyone crosses as a group.”
For people who are going to be driving on Halloween night, Holmes says motorists need to be more vigilant than usual because of increased foot traffic.
“What we do see in smaller municipal areas is cars parked along the side of the road that drivers are just not used to, and a lot of people who are crossing the street are crossing between vehicles,” Holmes explains. “So, we tell pedestrians to cross at the designated crosswalk, and we tell drivers to slow down, especially at those crosswalks where somebody in a darker costume may be a little bit harder to see.”
Holmes also suggests having your high beams on, so you have an easier time seeing pedestrians and they have an easier time seeing you.
Halloween is next Tuesday, October 31st.