Every Oct. 31 parents take their children through their neighborhood trick or treating. This may be an activity your children enjoy but keep in mind the dangers of such activity. Safety should be of number one importance to everyone.
Each year more and more people are beginning to bring all terrain vehicles out onto the roadways to tow children in wagons or other makeshift vehicles. ATVs include Gators, utility tractors and low tire pressure vehicles. These are illegal to bring onto any highway, county roadway or street.
Golf carts are also illegal to be operated on unspecified roadways and after darkness. This prohibition includes during trick or treat. It is all about safety.
Other points to remember are these:
• Parents should never allow their children to go door to door trick or treating unsupervised.
• Children should not wear masks to cover their face and limit their field of vision.
• Children’s costumes should be of bright colors and have at least two strips of 3M reflective tape so as to be seen by motorists.
• Children must never be allowed to eat anything until the items are inspected by a parent.
• Children should never be taken into neighborhoods which are private property and closed to non-residents.
• Children and adults walking should carry some source of lighting.
• Adults must not stop on the roadways, obstructing traffic flow, or creating a traffic hazard while their children are walking to a residence
• It is illegal for children to ride in the back of a pick up truck, in the back of an SUV or any other vehicle unless they are seat belted as Georgia traffic law requires.
It is important to remember as a young person walking in costume, you may see a car but the driver of the car may not see you. Do not walk in the roadways, even in subdivision streets. Georgia law requires all pedestrians walking on a roadway, who are not within a crosswalk, to yield to all cars and trucks. That means if we are walking, we must move out of the roadway and let the car or truck pass.
Trick or treating in Effingham County will be Oct. 31 from 6-9 p.m. If you have questions you may contact Sgt. Ramsey Mannon at 754-3449 ext. 221.
