BATON ROUGE — As Halloween approaches, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released safety tips for drivers, pedestrians and party hosts ahead of the festivities. 

Drivers should be on high alert for trick-or-treaters and other pedestrians and should slow down and scan the roads. Drivers should be especially careful to watch out for young trick-or-treaters in unexpected places, as children may be unaware of traffic and dart into the street unexpectedly. 

As many Halloween parties will be taking place across the country, residents should watch out for drunk drivers while those attending parties should choose a designated driver or schedule a ridesharing or taxi service before drinking. 

In 2024, nearly half of all fatal crashes on Halloween night were alcohol-related according to NHTSA. 

Those hosting Halloween parties should make sure guests get home safely by helping schedule taxis or rideshares, providing sleeping accommodations, or potentially driving guests home themselves. 

To help deter drunk driving, hosts should collect car keys from guests who are drinking and provide non-alcholic beverage options.