Trick-or-treating tips; boo to Halloween rain

Houses look haunted, ghosts hover over grass.

Halloween is Thursday and there's rain in the forecast. Boo.

Some communities opt to move trick-ro-treating due to forecast

"Take your time. Don't walk fast because you could slip," advised Michele Fenning of West Deptford.

Brian Beppel of West Deptford added "Get your parents together, get your groups together, stay safe."

Because of that rain, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeperson Jana Tidwell explained it's even more critical that trick-or-treaters and drivers use caution.

"Children are twice as likely to get hit by a car on Halloween than any other night if the year," according to Tidwell.

She added, "They need to be able to see everything, and they also need to be seen."

So light 'em up- glow sticks and flashlights galore. Adding them to trick-or-treat bags, gives an eery glow.

There are plenty of items you can use that you can find at a dollar store.

"These magnetic lights are super fun to do and super inexpensive, they attach to the pumpkin buckets," Tidwell pointed out.

Festive reflector tape will enhance visibility.

"It comes right off, add it to the costume. They don't even know that it's there," said Tidwell.

Make sure kids can see, too. Consider facepaint and headbands as opposed to masks.

"If they have those masks, encourage them to pull them up over their heads while they're walking around. Pull them back down before they ring the doorbell," Tidwell shared.

Here are more Halloween Safety tips, courtesy of AAA:

Motorists

• Do not use your phone while behind the wheel, so you can focus on the road and trick-or-treaters.

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals.

• Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and may cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.

• Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys, taking extra care if you are backing up or turning.

• Turn your headlights on to make yourself more visible - even in the daylight.

Parents

• Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and light in color to improve visibility.

• Be bright at night - have trick-or-treaters use glow sticks or wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and on treat buckets.

• Ensure that disguises don't obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.

• Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.

• Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.

• Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger's home or garage.

Trick-or-Treaters

• Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.

• Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.

• Watch for cars turning or backing up.

• Cross streets only at the corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.

• Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.

• Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries. Never shine flashlights into the eyes of oncoming drivers.

Party Goers

• Arrange a safe ride home and/or designate a driver before partaking in any festivities

.

• Always designate a sober driver.

• If you are drunk, take a taxi or ride share service, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.

• Before leaving for a party, load ride share apps or put numbers of local cab companies or your designated driver(s) into your phone.

• Walking impaired can be as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home

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• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.

• If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.