Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) wants to ensure that trick or treaters have a safe and fun Halloween, particularly since it will be dark during many of the festivities.
“This statistic should scare you—the National Safety Council tells us that children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It is so important that families take extra precautions to ‘be seen on Halloween.’ We hope that all Montgomery County families have a fun and safe Halloween this year.”
The following tips can help keep trick-or-treaters safe:
- Drivers should slow down and be alert. Kids are excited on Halloween and may dart into the street. Reduce speed and turn on headlights early in the day to spot kids from further away.
- Drivers and trick-or-treaters should put electronic devices down and keep heads up and use caution on streets and sidewalks.
- Trick-or-treaters should only cross the street at corners or crosswalks. Always look left, right and left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross. Walk—do not run—across the street.
- Parents and trick-or-treaters can make themselves more easily seen by carrying glow sticks or flashlights, using reflective tape or stickers on costumes and bags and wearing light colors.
The MCDOT Safe Routes to School program will be participating at several family friendly events giving out safety prizes and promoting pedestrian safety. The program will be participating in events, including:
- Friday, Oct. 28: Clopper Mill Elementary School
- Saturday, Oct. 29: Silver Spring Zombie Walk
- Sunday, Oct. 30: HalloWheaton at Marian Fryer Town Plaza
