Buffalo Grove Police Offer Halloween Safety Tips

The Buffalo Grove Police Department has a message for Halloween night travelers: be alert while driving and ‘Trick or Treating’ this Halloween.

"Consider this reminder our 'treat' to you. When driving in neighborhoods or going to a Halloween party or event, watch for trick-or-treaters that may appear in your path unexpectedly. Just using a bit of extra caution when driving can make all the difference," said Mike Rodriguez, sergeant of the Buffalo Grove Police Department’s Traffic Unit.

Last year, IDOT reported 19 pedestrian related crashes, with 18 of them resulting in injuries. However, the good news is that following three straight years of Halloween night pedestrian related traffic fatalities in Illinois, IDOT's Division of Traffic Safety reported that there were no fatal crashes involving pedestrians during last year's Halloween night.

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; the phrase to remember is, "See and Be Seen." IDOT, AAA, and local law enforcement agencies offer these simple reminders for a safer Halloween:

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals. According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian is more than twice as likely to be killed if they are hit by a car traveling at 35 mph compared to 25 mph. What seems like a small difference — just 10 mph — can be the difference between life and death.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and cautiously. Have child passengers enter and exit cars on the curb side, away from traffic.
• Watch for children in the street. Trick-or-treaters may not pay attention to cars and cross mid-block or between parked cars.

For parents and children:

• Dress children in bright costumes. Use reflective tape or stickers on dark costumes.
• Apply face paint or cosmetics appropriate for children directly to the face. It is safer than a loose-fitting mask that can obstruct a child's vision.
• If a mask is worn, cut the eyeholes large enough for full vision.
• Have children carry flashlights or glow sticks to improve their visibility.
• Secure hats so they will not slip over children's eyes.
• Remind children to cross streets only at intersections.
• Teach them to stop and look for cars, looking to the left, right and left again before crossing, and then to keep looking both ways for cars while they cross.
• Teach them never to dart into a street or cross a street from between parked cars.