NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Thursday, children of all ages will be hitting the streets in search of sweet treasures and spooky fun.
Nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide says 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.
"Since Halloween falls on a Thursday, it's likely that festivities could start early in the week and continue throughout the weekend," AAA - The Auto Club spokesperson, Megan Cooper, said. "We're urging drivers to keep an eye out for pedestrians, slow down in neighborhoods, and avoid distractions and impairment behind the wheel to help keep everyone safe."
When letting children out to trick-or-treat on Thursday night, AAA recommends the following safety tips to make the most out of the spooky holiday:
Be visible: Light-colored clothing or costumes provide the best visibility to drivers. If unavailable, try adding reflective material or tape to costumes to increase visibility. Giving your child a glow stick or flashlight to carry also increases their chance of seeing and being seen by drivers.
Cross the street responsibly: Cross using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look both ways before crossing the street and keep an eye on the road while you are crossing. Remind your child not to cross the street mid-block or run out between parked cars in neighborhoods.
Don't walk distracted or impaired: Save the social media updates for before or after you go trick-or-treating. Avoid checking your phone while walking supervising children. Walking while impaired can also be just as dangerous as driving impaired.
Stay on sidewalks: If no sidewalks are available, always walk facing traffic and stay as far to the left of the roadway as possible.
Remove bulky costumes or winter coats before buckling your child into their car seat: Bulky or oversized clothing can make the car seat harness fit incorrectly, leaving room for movement in the seat, which can be very dangerous in the event of a crash.
As of publication, the WKRN weather forecast shows a chance of rain are likely for Halloween night, so driver visibility may be limited depending on the strength of the rain. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s to high 60s on Halloween.
Middle Tennessee cities are also offering their own community-specific guidance for Halloween night, including increasing neighborhood patrols looking for speeders, reckless drivers, and those impaired behind the wheel.
Murfreesboro Police Chief Michael Bowe reminded all those in Murfreesboro to keep their Halloween night safe in addition to spooky.
"We want everyone to have a safe and fun Halloween," Chief Bowe said. "We encourage residents to take the necessary precautions for an enjoyable holiday."
In addition to increased patrols by Murfreesboro police, Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department (MFRD) will have crews at several community Halloween events.
"Halloween can be a time for spooky celebrations and fun, but it can also be a time for some scary fire safety hazards," MFRD Chief Mark McCluskey said.
McCluskey recommended not using tealight candles inside jack-o-lanterns and instead opting for battery-operated lights inside carved pumpkins.
"If you're going to use a lighted candle, you must always have eyes on it," McCluskey said. "Keep it far away from anything that can burn and out of the way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, and walkways."
In Montgomery County, Clarksville Police reminded residents that trick-or-treating has no official start time, but could begin as early as 6 p.m. and run until about 9 p.m. The Clarksville Police Department said officers will be focusing their attention in neighborhoods during the expected trick-or-treating hours.