Hawaiʻi Police Department
Traffic Services Section
Torey Keltner, Program Manager
Phone: (808) 961-2305
Media Release
Halloween is a fun time of year for children and adults alike. Vampires, Werewolves, and Unicorns will be walking through our neighborhoods looking for treats. Being safe is no trick; using a few common-sense safety tips can help make the evening enjoyable for everyone. The Hawaiʻi Police Department asks people to follow a few suggestions, especially on Halloween.
For drivers traveling the roads on the Big Island:
- If you or a friend drink alcohol or consume an intoxicating substance like marijuana, don’t drive. Have a sober driver or call for a ride.
- Avoid using handheld electronic devices. Using an electronic device while operating a vehicle is a crime and very unsafe.
- Remember that as soon as you step out of your car, you become a pedestrian. Make sure to watch all the traffic and don’t let children run out of the car to get to a house.
- If you see a drunk driver or impaired pedestrian on the road, contact local law enforcement. It’s best if you provide a license plate description of the vehicle and direction of travel on the road.
- Be especially alert for all road users, including pedestrians, at night. Children may come from between vehicles or other unsafe locations.
- Slow down in areas where pedestrians are likely to be or where sight distances are limited. Keep your windshield clean.
For pedestrians walking the streets of our Island:
- Walk on a sidewalk if one is available. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic, as far to the side as safely possible so you can move quickly out of the road if you feel threatened by traffic. Drivers do not expect to see pedestrians in the roadway or to come out from between parked cars or behind shrubbery. Expect that drivers will not see you and wait for them to pass.
- Follow the rules of the road at driveways and intersections. Cross with a traffic signal if there is one, and even if you have the right of way, make sure traffic has stopped or passed before you step into the street. This will be easier to do if electronic devices do not distract you from picking up visual and auditory information about traffic.
- Make yourself as visible to motorists as possible, especially at night and in low light by carrying a flashlight, wearing a small flashing strobe light, and wearing reflective clothing. Bright colored clothing is not enough. Drivers need time to detect, identify, and react to an object they see on the road. The sooner they see you, the sooner they can react. Reflective materials on the parts of your body that move, such as feet, legs, and arms, can be seen at greater distances by drivers in the dark. Carry your flashlight on the side closest to traffic.
- Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to get home safely at the end of the night. Alcohol affects judgment, balance, and reaction time. Create a “buddy system” to get each other home safely. Call a cab or your community’s Sober Ride program, take public transportation, or use NHTSA’s SaferRide app to help you call a sober friend or family member to pick you up. Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.