Whether you're dressed as a sexy pirate or a more traditional vampire this Halloween, remember: safety first.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office released a press release providing key safety tips to ensure people stay safe as they don their ghoulish outfits and hit the neighborhood streets when Halloween rolls around on Monday.
"With all of the excitement in the air, sometimes we can forget to be cautious," wrote Sgt. Todd Kelly, the ASO public information officer, in a press release on Halloween safety tips.
In the press release, he wrote that common sense goes a long way to help people stay safe on Halloween.
For any college students or other adults going to Halloween parties, the golden rule is to avoid drinking and driving at all costs.
Tips for parents include sticking to well-known neighborhoods for trick-or-treating with their children and checking online to ensure those neighborhoods do not include the residences of any known sexual predators or offenders. All they need to do is pay a quick visit to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website, where offenders are listed by zip code.
The Sheriff's Office's tips for homeowners include ensuring their porches are well lit and restraining any dogs or other pets they have.
As for motorists, it is important to keep an eye out for children, who may dart into the streets from yards, according to the press release. Drivers have the poorest visibility around dusk, so drivers should be especially cautious at that time.
