California Highway Patrol and local parents urging people to be safe this Halloween

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Neighborhoods across the Central Valley are always filled with trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.

The California Highway Patrol is urging people to be careful, whether driving a vehicle or out walking around.

"Get a head start, especially when the sun is up. This way, they are a little more visible as they start transitioning into the darker hours of the night. We recommend having flashlights or some sort of reflective material, especially when coming up to intersections where there aren't crosswalks," said CHP Officer Adrian Gonzalez.

The CHP says this year, there are more officers out on patrol, helping keep everyone safe.

"Our citations are up over 50%, our DUI arrests are up 12% and overall for the quarter, our fatalities are down 40%," explained Officer Gonzalez.

One local Visalia parent, Jennifer Alvarez, says she will be extra cautious throughout the night.

She's urging drivers to be vigilant and is asking anyone who is drinking to think twice about getting behind the wheel.

"You can break up a family. You can absolutely destroy a family doing so, so calling an Uber or making sure you plan ahead to have that sober driver or being the sober driver or even making sure that you're watching out for your friends in that situation is definitely important," said Jennifer.

The Visalia Police Department will also have a maximum enforcement period starting Thursday night.

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