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SALT LAKE CITY — Halloween can be a scary night, and not just because of ghosts and goblins — it's also the deadliest night of the year for pedestrians.
Keep your kids safe while trick-or-treating with these easy tips from Red Cross, Safe Kids Worldwide and the Centers for Disease Control.
Before you go
1. Make sure your child's costume, mask, beard or wig are well-fitted and flame resistant. The CDC says to avoid costumes with flimsy material and billowing skirts and sleeves.
A video released by firefighters in the United Kingdom this week shows how fast a costume can erupt into flames. Claudia Winkleman's 8-year-old daughter suffered third-degree burns after her princess costume caught on fire while out trick-or-treating, Buzzfeed reported. Her video urging parents to make sure their child's costume is flame resistant has gone viral, being seen over 5,274,000 times on Facebook since May.
2. Use a flashlight. This will help other trick-or-treaters and drivers see you. On average, twice as many child pedestrians are likely to be hit and killed on Halloween than on any other day, a Safe Kids study reports.
3. Don't ever go alone. Young kids should always go with an adult. Older kids should go in groups of three or more and map out their routes with a parent beforehand. Children should also never enter a house or apartment unless with an adult, the CDC says.
4. Use reflective tape on your costume and bag to help drivers see your child. A Safe Kids study showed only 18 percent of parents use reflective tape to make their kids more visible.
5. Look both ways before you cross the street (Children 12 and under should always cross the street with an adult.). Red Cross recommends never walking or hiding between parked cars.
6. Walk on sidewalks, not the street. If your neighborhood doesn't have a sidewalk, walk on the side of the street facing traffic. 7. Only visit homes where the porch lights are on. Red Cross advises that homeowners who want to greet trick-or-treaters should also clear their porch and yard of any obstacles and use glow sticks instead of real candles in jack-o-lanterns.
For drivers
8. Drive slow in residential areas, especially during the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. AAA recommends driving at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself time to react.
9. Take extra time at intersections and when turning and watch for kids darting into the street.
10. Slow down when entering and exiting your driveway and always keep your headlights on.
For more information on staying safe this Saturday, visit cdc.gov or redcross.org.
