LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This weekend, families will be putting their final touches on costumes and getting ready to send their little ones house-to-house for trick-or-treating— With dozens of kids in the streets, Halloween fun can turn dangerous if you're not careful.
Ridgeway Drive was quiet the Friday before Halloween, but come Monday, things are expected to be busy.
"There are hundreds of kids that come through," Cody Grummers, a resident in the neighborhood said.
Her family's first Halloween in the neighborhood was in 2019, and immediately, she knew the number of trick-or-treaters and vehicles that passed through created a dangerous scenario.
"With kids running around, it started to get dark and costumes, so we noticed that it was a problem at that point," Grummers explained.
In order to keep the holiday fun but a lot safer, Grummer said she created a plan that the neighborhood has been overwhelmingly in support of.
"We have made an effort now every year to close the street just for the safety of kids on the roadway and kids in the neighborhood," Grummer said.
Though not every area of the city takes those precautions.
Law enforcement wanted to remind drivers to be alert while navigating through some busy neighborhoods on Halloween night.
"Especially on Halloween, there's a massive amount of pedestrians both large and small," Major Casey Clark, with the Little Rock Police Department, said.
He also added that there are peak times on Halloween night that you'll want to be sure and remember.
"That time between 4:00 p.m. and maybe 8:00 p.m. That's when you need to pay the most attention," Clark described.
As a general rule, but especially on Halloween, he recommended that drivers should simply slow down.
"Oftentimes, you cannot see children, especially behind the brick mailboxes when you're going down the road," Clark explained.
He shared important advice for parents who plan on sending their little ones door-to-door on Halloween.
"It never hurts to carry a flashlight [and] to have some kind of reflective vest on someone in the group," Clark said.
His main hope is for Arkansans to continue to use their best judgment so everyone can stay safe.
"It's incumbent on us adults to be even more cautious because we don't want a tragedy on holiday," Clark said.
As an added step of security, Ridgeway Drive will also have security guards on Halloween to help guide people and keep things secure.