According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, nationwide 43 percent of all traffic fatalities on Halloween night during the previous five years involved a driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Police will be especially alert for impaired drivers this weekend, and urge motorists to follow these tips to insure safe Halloween travel:
• Designate your sober driver before going out and give that person your keys;
• If you’re impaired, call a taxi, a sober friend or family member to help get you home safely;
• Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement.
Additionally, Hartford Police encourage parental supervision and involvement during Trick-or-Treat festivities. Specifically, it is important for parents to be aware of the following safety rules for their children when they are trick-or-treating:
• Know your trick-or-treaters' route;
• Take a flashlight;
• Be sure costumes, shoes, and treat bags are safe;
• Remind kids not to enter strangers' homes or cars;
• Set rules about not eating treats until kids get home, and inspect all treats before allowing kids to eat them;
• Candy that has been opened should be thrown away, and homemade treats or fruit inspected closely;
• Remember drivers have a hard time seeing people, especially at dusk;
• Never cross the street from between parked cars;
• Watch open flames from jack-o-lanterns as they can catch costumes and long wigs on fire;
• Make sure that fake knives, swords, and guns are made from cardboard or other flexible materials to avoid accidental injury or worse, have them mistaken for the real thing.
It is also important to ensure that your home is safe and accessible to trick-or-treaters. As adults there are some very simple things we can do to make the evening safe for everyone.
• Turn on your porch light.
• Move lit jack-o-lanterns off the porch where kids get bunched up if they are trick-or-treating in groups.
• Remove objects from your yard that might cause a slip, trip or fall.
• Drive slowly all evening; you never know what creature(s) may suddenly cross your path.
To promote safety and community awareness during the annual Trick-or-Treat holiday, Hartford Police will be conducting additional patrols through residential developments. Residents should report any suspicious or criminal activity to their local police agency by calling 911.
Major Leonard J. Roberts
Field Operations Division
Hartford Police Department
812 VA Cutoff Rd,
White River Junction, Vermont
Phone 802-295-9425