CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – With Halloween this year on a Friday, public safety workers and first responders expecting a maximum turnout urge maximum caution. Trick- and trunk-or-treating, along with parties, can be expected throughout the entire weekend.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reported 497 crashes with four fatalities and 29 serious injuries in 2024 on a Halloween Thursday. That was up from 393 crashes with two fatalities and 29 serious injuries in 2023, which was on a Tuesday.

The DMV advises, “with plenty of children and families expected to be trick-or-treating, it’s important for both motorists and pedestrians to stay alert and take precautions.”

“Drivers should slow down in neighborhoods, watch for children darting between cars, and eliminate distractions,” said UVA Health’s Dr. Chris Holstege who’s both an ER physician and director of UVA Heath’s Blue Ridge Poison Center speaking to reporters Thursday. “Families can help too — keep your little ghouls and goblins visible with reflective costumes or flashlights … At nighttime, as an emergency physician, I worry about kids not with reflective material or having lights or glowsticks that might help show them to cars as they’re crossing streets,”

He said it’s also important the children can see where they’re going.

“I’ve seen injuries by children who are just walking not with a good flashlight and they don’t realize there’s a hole in a lawn and they fall and hurt their leg,” Dr. Holstege said.

For motorists, the DMV urges entering and exiting driveways and alleys slowly and carefully, staying below posted speed limits and avoiding passing other motorists in residential areas, watching for children dashing between vehicles, and never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

For pedestrians, the DMV urges not assuming the right-of-way when crossing streets as drivers might not see you, sticking to the sidewalk whenever possible or walking beside the street facing traffic if there is no sidewalk, and attaching reflective tape to costumes or candy bags and giving each child a flashlight.

Another aspect of Halloween safety is making sure there are no tricks in treats.

Putting on his Blue Ridge Poison Center director’s hat, Dr. Holstege said this is not so much a matter of the old myths of people putting poisons or razor blades in candy. But each piece of candy still needs to be inspected, and be especially wary of baked goods.

The problem, especially since cannabis consumption has become legal in Virginia, is edibles.

Before decriminalization, Dr. Holstege said in the pediatric age group, they’d see maybe 10 cases of cannabis poisonings.

“Now we’re seeing calls to the poison center of 150 to 200 cases a year,” Dr. Holstege said.

He said what they’re seeing is someone has made edible cookies or brownies, and a child in some way gets into those.

Another is products people by from various stores that actually look like candy, and a child gets into it somehow, or someone purchases the product by mistake and just doesn’t realize.

“We had a grandmother purchase a product, not realizing it was an actual cannabis product, with adverse consequences for the grandchild, which is something we certainly don’t want to see,” Dr. Holstege said.

Dr. Holstege advises, “Inspect the candy making sure it’s not disrupted and all the packaging is intact, and I’d be careful with home-baked goods unless you know exactly who it’s coming from.”

Another thing to look out for, according to Dr. Holstege, “Certainly be careful with the young children who might have a choking hazard with some of the candy that might be out there, especially with the toddler age groups.”

And anyone going to parties needs to be careful with alcohol and edibles separately, but Dr. Holstege worries about anyone combining the two.

“There’s an additive affect with those, too, and it certainly impacts cognition, judgement, and particularly driving skills doing both cannabis and alcohol together.”

Further, Dr. Holstege said, “The other thing we’re seeing is not just cannabis products, but hallucinogenic agents also in these products being sold in some of the vape stores and we’re pulled them off the shelves.”

“Those worried me significantly because of adverse consequences with people falling from balconies or stepping in front of cars where reality is really distorted.”

He said, “We’re seeing some really concerning edible products hitting the market, and that’s been reportedly nationally.”

Dr. Holstege urges anyone in trouble not to hesitate contacting the Blue Ridge Poison Center or calling 9-1-1.