The North Carolina Department of Transportation is asking parents, children and drivers to heed its advice to ensure a safe Halloween.

According to state agency officials, every year more than 2,200 pedestrians in North Carolina are injured or killed in collisions with motor vehicles and more than a third of those happened in the evening or at night. Hundreds of people in the state are killed in alcohol-related traffic fatalities each year.

“Halloween is a time for fun, but safety is our top priority,” said N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Don Nail. “Everyone needs to know that drunk driving will not be tolerated by law enforcement, especially with the significant increase of pedestrians and drivers on our roads.”

Over the weekend, into Monday night, law enforcement across the state has been taking part in the state “Booze It & Lose It” campaign, increasing patrols and establishing checkpoints.

For those out on the roads and walking the neighborhoods of Beaufort County, officials have the following advice:

 

For parents

• Plan and discuss a safe route trick-or-treaters intend to follow and establish a return time. Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along the established route.
• Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.
• Make sure a child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars.
• Let children know that they should stay together as a group if going out to trick-or-treat without an adult.
• Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.

 

For trick-or-treaters

• Stay in familiar neighborhoods along the established route and stop only at familiar houses unless accompanied by an adult.
• Walk on sidewalks, not in the street. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
• Cross streets at crosswalks when available. Look both ways before crossing streets and cross when the lights say to cross, after checking for cars in all directions.
• Carry a flashlight, wear clothing with reflective markings or tape, and stay in well-lit areas. Wear a watch that can be read in the dark.
• Don’t cut across yards or driveways.

 

 

For drivers

• Drive slowly through residential streets and areas where pedestrians trick-or-treating could be expected.
• Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
• At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.
• Before putting a costume on, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night by either designating a sober driver, downloading a ride app, checking on public transportation availability or programming a taxi number into a mobile phone.