ROANOKE, Va. – Halloween is here, and first responders want your kids to be safe while they are trick-or-treating Thursday night.
It’s one of the three most dangerous nights of the year for pedestrians when it comes to crashes and fatalities, according to AAA.
Keep little ghouls close
Police are telling parents to be with kids on Thursday night when they’re going door to door. They also encourage a buddy system.
You should also know where you’re going and kids should not go to unfamiliar homes alone.
Roanoke County Police said the biggest danger during Halloween is vehicles. In fact, during any big holiday, they said they see a lot more crashes.
Don’t drink and drive
“Buzz driving is still drunk driving, and so though you might seem good enough to drive, you’re ability to drive is definitely impaired, and so you need to plan ahead of time, whether it be getting an Uber or getting a friend. We don’t want to arrest you on a good night, and we don’t want you’re good night to end in a nightmare, so just plan ahead,” said Crime Prevention Coordinator Caleb Forehand with the Roanoke County Police Department.
Stay safe and be seen
Forehand said kids should have flashlights with them. Also, children should wear light colors or bright clothes.
Meanwhile, the leading cause of fires during Halloween is decorations, according to the Botetourt Fire Department. They said you should find decorations that aren’t flammable like glow sticks or battery-operated candles.
Botetourt Fire Department Deputy Chief Rob Johnson said you even need to think about the costumes that you’re wearing.
“Purchasing a costume. You know obviously, we have a lot coming from different areas of the world you want to make sure that you’re looking at the tags and try to find something that’s listed as non-flammable or fire-resistive because once again that chance is always there,” said Johnson.
Check those treats
Candy is another concern.
Carilion Children’s Safe Kids Coordinator Jill Lucas Drakeford said parents should go through their kids’ candy bags. If they don’t know what it is, they should throw it out.
Lucas Drakeford also said to look at the candy’s packaging and make sure it’s not torn or open.
Some gummies have THC in them too, so you want to check the packaging to make sure that the candy doesn’t have that as well.
“With our younger kiddos, if you get jawbreakers and those types of things anything that could become a choking hazard, if they put it in their mouth, you want to be careful of and just discard of those things that you might have any concerns about whatsoever. So, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry,” said Lucas Drakeford.
She said kids shouldn’t eat home-baked goods, like cookies or popcorn balls.