Halloween should be a time of spooky-but-safe thrills for kids, culminating in trick-or-treat night when little witches, ghosts and monsters go door-to-door in pursuit of candy.
Unfortunately, the scariest thing about Halloween isn’t skeletons or haunted houses, it’s distracted drivers, says UNC Health pediatric emergency department physician Daniel Park, MD.
“On Halloween, kids are more than twice as likely to be struck and killed by vehicles than any other day in the year,” Dr. Park says. “That needs to be the biggest takeaway for parents, so they can take steps to prevent those injuries.”
Here’s what you need to know to keep trick-or-treaters safe and having a blast.
1. Go over safety rules.
If your child has been eagerly awaiting Halloween for weeks, they might make a run for it to start ringing doorbells. Before trick-or-treating begins, remind them about the rules they’ll need to follow.
“Set the safety expectations and rules before trick-or-treating,” Dr. Park says. “You can even say that this is a very bad day for car accidents so it’s important to be super careful. Explain that you’ll be crossing streets at corners and crosswalks.”
For younger kids, reinforce that you need to be there with them before they cross the street. If you have older kids—Dr. Park says it’s reasonable for a 12-year-old to trick-or-treat with friends—set geographic boundaries so you know where they are, ask them to check in regularly and set a curfew.
2. Do a costume safety check.
If your child has dreamed up an elaborate costume, let them put it on and take lots of photos. Then, consider whether any part of it might need to be adjusted for safe trick-or-treating.
“I’ve worn a mask on Halloween and know how distracting it is,” Dr. Park says. “You don’t have any peripheral vision with a mask, so you can’t anticipate vehicles around corners. Use face paint instead so kids don’t have anything obstructing their vision.”
Make sure your child can safely walk in their costume, and encourage kids to leave accessories such as swords, magic wands or broomsticks at home.
“If they’re tripping over the bottom of their costume, they could easily fall into the street,” Dr. Park says. “The fewer accessories, the better. Use them for fun pre-Halloween pictures, but then they’re an unnecessary distraction.”
Once it gets dark, you should encourage your child to use their free hand to carry a flashlight or glow stick so they can be seen. You can add reflective tape to their costume or consider some of the lightweight reflective options available for runners.
Lastly, be sure their costumes are flame-resistant, and teach them to keep an eye out for real candles in jack-o’-lanterns they might pass. Dr. Park recommends battery-operated candles to prevent burns and fires.
3. Talk to your teenagers about their driving.
Young drivers—ages 15 to 25—are too often at the wheel during pedestrian crashes that injure and kill children on Halloween, Dr. Park says. So even if your kid has aged out of trick-or-treating, it’s important to talk safety with them if they’re leaving the house.
“I would tell anyone to avoid driving on Halloween if you can,” Dr. Park says. “It’s an unnecessary risk. If your teenager does have to drive, tell them to put their lights on and go super slow. Remind them to double and triple check when they make turns and to drive at a snail’s pace through neighborhoods.”
And while new drivers may need those extra reminders, all drivers should take care on Halloween to eliminate distractions and watch for children. If you’re planning to drink alcohol, make sure you have a safe ride home; in 2022, nearly half of fatalities on Halloween night came from alcohol-related crashes.
4. Check the candy haul.
You and your family have successfully completed trick-or-treating, but there’s still one more safety task to complete: checking the candy for choking hazards (your 4-year-old isn’t ready for jawbreakers) or allergens.
Dr. Park also recommends tossing any homemade treats—though not because of old fears about poison.
“We don’t have any data that people are lacing things with drugs, but from a food safety perspective, stick with the prepackaged candies,” he says.
And if you’re a parent scared of your child’s sugar rush after all that candy? Know that relaxing the rules a bit for a holiday won’t hurt them. But if you’re concerned about tummy aches or disrupted sleep, you can agree beforehand on the number of pieces your child can eat before bed.
Be sure to enjoy a piece of candy yourself, to celebrate another fun and safe Halloween.
If you’re a parent with safety questions, talk to your child’s doctor. If you or your child need a doctor, find one near you.