On Saturday all the little ghouls and goblins in Charlotte County will indulge in the timeless activity of trick-or-treating.

Trick-or-treating in Charlotte County has always had a feeling of security, due to the fact that most individuals were somewhat familiar with their neighbors and just about everyone in the county. However, a variety of organizations have started to organize and promote trunk-or-treat events, a perceived safer alternative than going door to door on Halloween night.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) halloween is one of the most dangerous nights of the year. Statistics from the NHTSA revealed “the drinking and increased pedestrian traffic on Halloween night has historically been a dangerous combination. On Halloween night in 2012, 54 people died, and nearly half of those deaths (26) involved a crash with a drunk driver, compared to one-third on an average day. More than one-quarter (28 percent) of Halloween crash fatalities were pedestrians, compared to 14 percent on an average day.”

During a trunk-or-treat event, participants are typically gathered in one central location. Half of the fun comes from the elaborately decorated car trunks the participants done. Children are permitted to visit the trunks of as many cars at they choose to receive Halloween goodies.

Trunk-or-treat can be a great alternative for small children that are not capable of doing a lot of walking.

All local towns in Charlotte County have specific times for going door to door on Halloween night and only children under the age of 12 may participate. Perhaps the busiest local areas in Charlotte County on Halloween night are the towns of Keysville and Charlotte Court House. Pedestrians and motorists should make sure to be extremely alert during this time.

The NHTSA suggests motorists should “slow down and be alert in residential areas,” and cautious to, “enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.” In addition, pedestrians should “always cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks, and look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.”

HAPPY HAUNTING!

Italia Gregory is a staff reporter for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at italia.gregory@thecharlottegazette.com