Halloween is often a fun excuse to dress up and have a great time with your friends. However, Halloween can be a very dangerous time of year due to a number of factors.

According to a 2018 study, “The relative risk of a pedestrian fatality was 43% higher on Halloween compared with control evenings.”

But pedestrian safety is not the only thing you should be aware of. Here are some tips on how to stay safe this Halloween.

Going Out

Before you go out, make sure your phone is fully charged or you have a battery pack. You never want to get into a situation where you need to make an emergency call and your phone is dead.

The buddy system is another way you can help keep yourself safe.This can either be by telling a friend, roommate or family member where you are going and roughly what time you’ll be back, or going out with friends.

Though both can be really important, one advantage of going out with your friends is that you have someone to back you up or bail you out.

Whether you get rowdy when you drink or you get hit on by creeps, having a friend who can help you out of a bind can be a life saver.

Never abandon your friends at a bar or a party. Whether you are bar or party hopping, make sure that all of the people you came with are leaving with you unless previously communicated.

Know where all of your potential exits are and make a mental note of them. Sometimes dangerous situations arise at parties or bars and if there is a panic, you do not want to be scrambling to find an exit.

Lastly, if you are the one driving, try to avoid residential areas or areas with a high number of trick or treaters. If you have to drive through residential areas, make sure you are watching for trick-or-treaters who may get excited and run across the street without looking.

Drinking

If you are above the legal drinking age, there is nothing wrong with having a couple drinks with your friends.

Parties and bars can attract a lot of cool people, but they can also attract awful people. Keep an eye on your drink regardless of your gender.
If you leave it unattended for any amount of time do not drink it. It is better to waste a $10 margarita than to get roofied.

Whether you are drinking at home or out on the town, remember your limits.

Do not be the friend that vomits in the designated driver’s car, or the one that has to get carried home.

It is never okay to drive drunk. Make sure you have a designated driver, money for a rideshare or are staying at your host’s home.

As stated before, pedestrian fatality is higher on Halloween. This is partially because of drunk drivers.

Do not be the reason someone has to bury their child.

Visibility

Though wearing a costume is a Halloween tradition, masks, wigs or anything that impairs your vision can become a hazard when walking near roads and in dimly lit areas. Always be mindful of your surroundings, especially because there will inevitably be drunk drivers.

Hosting

If you are hosting a Halloween party, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First of all, never put dry ice directly into drink bowls. Dry ice cannot be ingested and can kill a person.

Instead, use two bowls of differing sizes. In the biggest bowl, add your dry ice and then set a smaller bowl filled with your drink of choice in the middle.

Know who you are inviting into your dorm or apartment. First of all, inviting people blindly into your space is a great way for dangerous people to prey on drunk college students.

This could lead to many different dangerous scenarios that you do not want to be involved in.

Second of all, if you are serving alcohol, not knowing the age of all your guests can get you in a lot of trouble.

At best, serving alcohol to a minor (minor being defined as someone under 21 according to TABC) is a Class A misdemeanor with a fine up to $4,000 and a year in jail. At worst, it can be a felony if the minor is seriously injured or dies.

Lastly, make sure you trust your gut this Halloween. If a situation ever feels off, it is better to trust your gut and be wrong than to ignore it and be right.

Not all of these tips are hard and fast rules, but keep them in mind this spooky season.