City of Roseville

Here are some tips to make your Halloween fun and safe.

Driving tips:

With so many trick-or-treaters out at night, the potential for automobile related accidents with young pedestrians increase four times on this night according to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study.
Since children are preoccupied with the excitement of the night, motorists need to take extra precautions when driving on Halloween night. Here are a few tips to remember:

• Don’t use a cell phone or other electronic device. Even with hands-free devices, a driver’s attention is not totally focused on driving when talking on the phone. Avoid distraction by waiting until you’re parked to call, text, or surf.
• Drive below the posted speed limit in residential areas during trick-or-treating hours. Watch for children darting into the street. Kids can cross the street anywhere, and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.
• Do not pass other vehicles that have stopped in the roadway. Children could be crossing the street, or parents may be dropping off children.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
• At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.

Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic, and turn on your headlights earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
The prime time for trick-or-treaters is between 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm. If you are out driving during that time, be extra careful. Let’s make sure every child gets home safely on Halloween night.


Tips for trick-or-treaters:

With all the excitement that Halloween brings, children may forget many of the safety rules you have taught them. Therefore, it is important to carve out some time before your children head out the door on Halloween to remind them of the safety rules that you expect them to follow. Here are a few to get you started.

• Never get into strangers’ cars no matter what the person says. 
• If your child is old enough to go out on Halloween with friends, make sure that he/she has a pre-programmed cell phone with all important numbers.
• Children and adults are reminded to put electronic devices down, keep head up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
• If older children are going out without an adult, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when you want them home.
• Tell your child to only go to homes with an outside light on, and never enter a home or car for a treat.
• When crossing the street remind your child not to assume drivers will stop. Motorists may have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters. Just because one car stops doesn't mean others will.
• Tell your child not to eat any of their treats until you have checked them.

Fire safety tips for Halloween

• When choosing a costume, stay away from long trailing fabric. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so he or she can see out.
• Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.
• Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper catch fire easily. Keep all decorations away from open flames and other heat sources like light bulbs and heaters.
• Use a battery-operated candle or glow-stick in jack-pumpkins. If you use a real candle, use extreme caution.
• Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside pumpkins use long, fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter.
• Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of the way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards.
• Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
• Make sure all smoke alarms in the home are working.
• Tell children to stay away from open flames including pumpkins with candles in them. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice, stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.)

As we work to keep our community safe, your Roseville Police and Fire Departments need your help in identifying and reporting any suspicious or unlawful activity that you observe. Call 9-1-1 for emergencies and 916-774-5000 for non-emergency dispatch. 

Have a safe Halloween!