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Oct. 29, 2025 - As Halloween approaches, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is asking all drivers to be on alert for little ghosts and goblins who are looking for candy and treats, not cars and trucks.
Many communities throughout Louisiana have a set time for trick-or-treating or outdoor fall festivals for children on October 31. However, it’s a good idea to anticipate children running through the streets as early as 4 p.m. and as late as 10 pm, LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman said.
“Our job, as drivers, is to watch out for those kids,” Freeman said. “Their minds are on chocolate bars and bubble gum, not traffic safety. We must anticipate that children are going to run into the street without looking. It’s up to us to be vigilant.”
Freeman said parents should teach children never to cross a street without looking both ways. Trick-or-treaters also should carry a flashlight or blinking gadget to make them more visible.
“I also would encourage parents to be creative with their children’s costumes and treat bags by adding reflective tape or patches,” Freeman said. “Anything you can do to make your child more visible to cars and trucks will make them safer.”
Halloween also is a big holiday for adults, Freeman said. With October 31 falling on a Friday this year, more people may be partying even later into the night.
“Since 2020, more than 3,000 people in Louisiana have been injured or killed in a crash during the Halloween holiday, ” Freeman said. “Too many of those people were in a crash that involved a driver who had been drinking.”
According to statistics from the Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety at LSU, five people were killed, and 52 were injured during Halloween last year in a crash involving a drunk driver. Since 2020 in Louisiana, 23 people have died, and 325 were injured in crashes that involved impaired drivers during Halloween.
If you are planning on drinking, secure a sober ride home before the partying starts. If you are hosting a Halloween party, offer guests a variety of non-alcoholic beverage choices, Freeman said.
“Whether it’s Halloween, Carnival, or Christmas, the message is the same: Don’t drink and drive, and always wear your seat belt,” Freeman said.
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