Being safe on Halloween is no trick, just use a little common sense

Encountering a spirited trick or two on Halloween is one of the treats of the holiday.

It’s as much a part of the tradition as sugar crashes, scary movies, bobbing for apples and ghost stories.

The most asked question of the day, after all, is likely trick or treat?

But there’s no trick when it comes to staying safe on All Hallow’s Eve. Just using common sense makes the difference between happy haunting and frightening festivities.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawai‘i and Walmart are providing information and tips keiki, their families and the community can use to make sure everyone has the best — and safest — Halloween possible.

Deadly night

The risk of impaired driving is scary on Halloween, a holiday Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawai‘i says ranks among the deadliest nights for pedestrians, especially children.

Data from 2022, the latest available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, show 39% of fatal car crashes on the holiday involved impaired drivers.

Studies also show pedestrian deaths increase by 43% on Halloween compared to other nights, with children ages 4 to 8 years old at particularly high risk.

“Neighborhoods are filled with children, teens and adults in dark costumes at night, navigating areas with poor lighting, making it critical for everyone to stay safe and alert,” said Makena Young, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawai‘i program manager.

Stacey Stewart said deaths caused by impaired driving are 100% preventable.

“Halloween should be about costumes and candy — not worrying about impaired drivers,” said Stewart. “If you plan to drink, do not drive and make a plan to get home safe.”

The nation’s impaired driving crisis is only worsening.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show drunk driving deaths have increased 33% since 2019 — every 78 seconds, someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash.

Here are some tips from Mother’s Against Drunk Driving Hawai‘i for Kaua‘i drivers on Halloween.

Plan ahead and never drive impaired:

• If you plan to drink, make a plan and do not get behind the wheel of a car or any recreational vehicle, including bikes, golf carts and all-terrain vehicles.
• When you are deciding where to celebrate, plan ahead and decide how you will arrive home, whether it’s by rideshare, designating a sober driver or using public transportation.

Supervise trick-or-treaters and dress for success:

• Parents should accompany their younger trick-or-treaters and make sure they are highly visible.
• Children should carry glow sticks or flashlights, use reflective tape or stickers on costumes and wear light colors to help them be seen by drivers.
• Choose face paint over masks when possible, as masks can limit children’s vision.
• Be sure kids stay on sidewalks and only cross the street at corners or crosswalks, ideally in a group.

If you must drive, be vigilant:

• Sober designated drivers should be extra alert on the roads, as more impaired drivers will be behind the wheel and pedestrians will be out at night trick-or-treating.
• Ensure everyone in your vehicle is wearing a seatbelt, stick to the speed limit and drive cautiously.

Report impaired drivers immediately:

• If you see a suspected impaired driver, alert law enforcement right away. With children and pedestrians flooding the streets, there’s no margin for error.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawai‘i also encourages parents to talk to their kids about underage drinking and impaired driving, having an open and honest conversation about how important it is to make safe choices.

Halloween costumes 101

A costume needs to fit right to prevent tripping and heat exhaustion, allow for clear and unobstructed vision and be highly visible.

Walmart offered tips that are good for keiki and adults alike:

• Dress in a brightly or light-colored costume or clothing. If avoiding dark colors is impossible, use reflective tape on costumes and bags to be more visible at night.
• Parents escorting a group of children might consider wearing a reflective vest so they are visible to the children and others
• Make sure shoes fit properly to also help prevent trips or falls.
• Masks can dangerously restrict vision. Try using non-toxic makeup to better see everything happening around them.
• Don’t forget to remove makeup at the end of the night to prevent any potential allergic reactions or skin irritations.
• Make sure costumes and accessories are “flame-resistant” or aren’t so long — such as a cape, long pieces of fabric or wigs — that they could catch fire.

Treat collection also has its nuances.

There are different colored buckets/pumpkins with specific meanings people should know:

• Teal buckets are used to indicate a child has a food or peanut allergy.
• Blue buckets are used by children to indicate they have autism.

Re-usable shopping bags available at most grocery stores also are a durable alternative for collecting all that candy and other tasty loot compared with a plastic bag or bucket that can break or tear.

Prevent home and yard decoration disasters

Here are a few tips from Walmart to make sure your Halloween decor doesn’t sour the festivities:

• Make sure your porch and front yard are clear of all potential tripping hazards.
• Replace any burned-out bulbs in your outdoor lights.
• Use battery-operated votives instead of lit candles in your jack-o’-lanterns.
• Secure inflatable Halloween decorations with visible string or rope, tent stakes and other fasteners.

Have a frightfully fun time trick-or-treating, attending parties or going to any of the haunting holiday events happening around the Big Island.

Armed with the tips and information above, staying safe while doing so should be a breeze.

Happy Halloween!

News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.