Carson City Sheriff's Office: Safety should be priority when celebrating Halloween

Very soon Carson City streets will be filled with ghouls, goblins, and creatures of all kinds. As Halloween approaches, children, teenagers and yes, adults also, will take to the streets in search of treats.

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong would like to remind everyone to “Please watch for children. The streets will be dark and can be slick. Children may dart out unexpectedly, drive carefully.”

So what can you as a driver do to make sure that all return home safely? Here are some tips that you many find useful:

• Though it is already illegal to do so, don’t talk or text on your phone while driving. No conversation is worth injury to a child
• Pay extra attention when driving, particularly at crosswalks, intersections, and the side of roadways. Even though children should stay on the sidewalk when trick or treating, many are so excited that they tend to dart into the street from the sidewalk or between parked vehicles
• Drive below the posted speed limit. This will allow you extra time to react should a child run out in front of you
• Do not pass vehicles which have stopped in the roadway. They may be dropping off children
• If you are driving a group of children, but staying in the running vehicle at the curb, be sure to put on your hazard lights to alert other motorists
• Be extra careful when pulling out of driveways
• Do not assume that children can see you or are paying attention. You need to take that responsibility
• Make sure that all the lights on your vehicle are in operating condition
• If you are driving to a Halloween party, make sure your mask is off while driving, many have limited visibility, and on this night you need it.

What can parents do to help motorists and keep their children safe?
• Make sure that drivers see the children. Give them flashlights and glow sticks. Dress kids in bright reflective clothing or use reflective tape on their costumes
• Use makeup, rather than masks, so children have a clear unobstructed view of their surroundings
• Be sure children know how to cross a street. Look left, right, and left again before crossing
• Instruct children to stay on the sidewalks and to cross only at corners or crosswalks
• Accompany your children as they trick or treat
• Discourage teens from driving; there are too many distractions for inexperienced drivers
• Remind your child to never accept a ride from a stranger or enter a home without you
• Tell your kids to put electronic devices down and keep their heads up when they walk, don’t run across the street
• If your teenagers are going out alone, plan and review a route that is acceptable to you, know the area they will be in and set a time that they should be home by. Encourage them to trick or treat in groups, there is safety in numbers

Not all residents participate in giving out treats. If the lights are off at a home, respect their privacy, and move on to the next home.

Parents, check your child’s treats before they eat them. Throw away any spoiled, unwrapped, or suspicious items.
Let’s not forget about your pets. If you are taking your pet with you, keep them restrained so that they do not get out into traffic.

If leaving them at home, keep them inside so they are not teased or given a “treat” that may be harmful to them (chocolate is not good for them).
Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Sgt. Scott McDaniel
D.A.R.E. Deputy Lisa Davis
Carson City Sheriffs Office