AUSTIN, Texas — Halloween means more kids walking in Austin-area neighborhoods after dark.
APD is urging families to plan their routes and carry flashlights, and reminding drivers to slow down because children can pop out unexpectedly.
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With both families and drivers sharing the road this Saturday night, safety officials are encouraging parents to plan their routes ahead of time, make sure their kids are easy to see, and remind them to use crosswalks.
“I’m going to be a triceratops, and you’re going to be a T-Rex,” Austin resident Natalie Nicholson said while holding her two-year-old son Walter. “Can you be a dinosaur? Can you roar?”
“Roar,” Walter said.
Natalie and Walter Nicholson say they are taking precautions to stay safe this Halloween. (CBS Austin/Brenna Gibbons)
APD recommends making sure your child has something on them, such as a flashlight or glowstick, to make sure you can easily see them even when it gets dark outside.
“I think the biggest thing is keeping eyes on your child at all times,” Natalie said. “So I think always being like, ‘Do you have him?’ ‘Where is he?’ And just consistently watching because they run away.”
“We always go out in a group,” Austin resident Trey Ward said. “So there’s always a lot of adults around. Keeping an eye on kiddos. We kind of try to set the rule that when we’re in the street, we, you know, hold someone’s hand. Visibility, I think, as we talked about, is a good thing, whether that’s glow sticks or reflectors. Just thinking that, you know, might make cars easy, might make it easier for cars to see us.”
APD recommends making sure your child has something on them, such as a flashlight or glowstick, to make sure you can easily see them even when it gets dark outside. (CBS Austin/Brenna Gibbons)
And that visibility for children is for more than just the parents to be able to see them.
“Remember, drivers have a hard time seeing people, especially at night,” APD Public Information Officer, Corporal Jose Mendez, said. “Never cross the street between cars. Try to encourage your children and everyone else to cross at intersections or crosswalks.”
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APD also wants to remind parents to tell their kids not to enter a stranger’s house or car on Halloween night.
APD also wants to remind parents to tell their kids not to enter a strangers house or car on Halloween night. (CBS Austin/Brenna Gibbons)
Parents need to keep a vigilant eye on their children.
“But just kind of check in with the other adults you’re with and, you know, making sure that someone’s got an eye on each kid at any time,” Ward said.
So if you’re planning on taking your kids trick-or-treating this year, be aware of visibility, know your route, and take the proper precautions when you go out.