Halloween safety tips for teens

Teens naturally crave more independence. And Halloween is often a night where they want to be off on their own with friends.

So how do you let them do that – but also keep them safe?

Brianna Haynie, MSPH, CPST, Program Coordinator of Injury Prevention at Children’s Health℠, sheds light on the biggest dangers on Halloween – and provides tips for parents to empower teens to take charge of their own safety.

Tip #1: Start an ongoing conversation about parties

It's illegal for teens to drink and Halloween parties raise the odds they'll be around alcohol or other illegal substances.

Rather than a single lecture right before they leave, build conversations around alcohol and drugs into an ongoing, open conversation.

As the parent, it’s important to remember that you’re in charge of your child’s safety. So be sure to ask:

• Who is going to be at a party?

• Will there will be an adult present?

• What will you do if something goes wrong?

Tip #2: Make it safe for them to call you

Whether they’re at a party, a friend's house or just hanging out, make sure your teen knows they can call you to pick them up without getting in trouble – even if they’ve made a choice you wouldn't approve of or a friend who drove them decides to drink.

Tip #3: Set expectations and plan ahead

Create a safety and communication plan with your teen in advance for Halloween night to set expectations.

Before the actual day, start discussing:

• How often they’ll check in. Checking in every hour is a good recommendation. It can reassure you as a parent. And it gives your teen room to enjoy the night – instead of needing to constantly check their phone for texts.

• How they’ll be traveling. Find out how they plan to get to a party, special event or trick-or-treating area.

• Who they’ll be with. Find out who your child plans to be with so you can reach out to other parents, if need be.

• Where they’ll be going. Discuss where they plan to go – and let them know in advance if you plan to track them on your phone.

• What time they need to be home. Set a curfew and explain the consequences of not meeting it.

Tip #4: Discourage teen driving or riding e-bikes

If it's an option, a parent drop-off, rideshare or public transportation is safer than a new driver navigating streets full of excited, unpredictable pedestrians on Halloween.

New drivers haven't yet built the instinct for spotting unexpected hazards. And that raises the risk on a night when there's more to watch for than usual.

E-bikes and e-scooters may also pose a risk on Halloween night.

“We’re seeing a lot of teen injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters,” says Haynie. “So if your teen uses one of these, it’s very important that they wear a helmet.”

Review driving safety tips

If you think your teen or your teen’s friends may be driving, remind them to:

• Slow down. Tell your teen: “Halloween is not a night to speed because there are so many more pedestrian injuries than normal.”

• Expect the unexpected. Educate your teen that kids can get excited and dart across the street from an alley, driveway or from behind a parked car. So it’s very important to pay more attention than usual when driving on Halloween.

• Turn on the car’s lights, even before dark. This helps others see cars better, which keeps everyone safer.

• Put phones away. Phones should always be put away when driving but eliminating that distraction on Halloween is even more important.

• Turn down the music. Loud music can make being aware of surroundings more difficult.

• Take the longer route. Intentionally avoiding packed residential areas can help reduce the potential for injuries.

Tip #5: Remind them to use extra caution when walking

Most pedestrian injuries on Halloween happen because kids dart into the street – often from behind parked cars.

Review a few safety habits with your teen, including:

• Cross at the crosswalk. And make eye contact with drivers before you begin to cross, so you’re sure they've actually seen you.

• Put the phone away while crossing streets.

• Take off masks or anything else that blocks peripheral vision before crossing.

• Stick to well-lit, busier streets. Official trick-or-treat blocks can be safer, since they may be closed to traffic or have police directing the traffic.

• Walk facing traffic, if there's no sidewalk. This makes it easier for oncoming drivers to see you.

Tip #6: Add visibility to costumes

Wearing a full-on reflective vest might be a hard sell for a teen. But you may be able to increase their visibility by:

• Giving them glow stick necklaces or bracelets

• Putting reflective stickers on shoes

• Avoiding all-black costumes.

Skip the open candy

Tampered candy is rare, but it does happen, and it's hardest to rule out in a crowded party setting where you can't see who's handled it.

An easy rule for Halloween parties or to promote trick-or-treat safety is: stick to sealed, wrapped candy – and don’t eat anything that's already open.

Tip #8: Keep the tone positive, not fearful

Long lists of rules can backfire, especially with a teen who's not responsive to lectures.

Instead of leading with everything that could go wrong, try to celebrate the moments they get it right, like calling to check in.

That way, their safety starts to feel like something they're building, not something being imposed on them.

Explore more Halloween safety tips

Learn more tips from our experts on how to keep kids safe on Halloween.

Safety education for parents

The Children’s Health team of Injury Prevention experts study the most common causes of injuries in children. They also help educate parents and kids in the community about how best to keep kids safe from dangers like gun injuries, car crashes and drowning.