If your little ones have costumes, you have enough candy to cause a cavity, and you have a pumpkin by the front door, you probably think you’re ready for Halloween. But are you ready to deal with the monster traffic?

As if the afternoon rush hour wasn’t already bad in Atlanta, throw in a day filled with costumes and candy, and you’ve got a recipe for gridlock.

“It throws a different loop into the afternoon mix,” said Capt. Herb Emory, WSB Radio traffic guru. “Instead of going from work to home, it’s work to home and back out again.”

When Halloween falls on a weekday, it means a traffic jam heading out of the city and into the suburbs, Emory said. And the rush hour tends to start even earlier than on your typical day, he said.

“What we normally see happen is the northside seems to be the worst, 75, 85, and 400,” Emory said. “And what happens on 285 affects all of them.”

In addition to the major interstates, many surface streets also will be clogged as commuters seek alternate routes, Emory said. Also, some trick-or-treaters will head out late in the afternoon and traffic safety may be the last thing on their minds.

“This is one of those days that I would urge employers to exercise a little flex time for employees, not only for the aggravation factor but also for the safety factor,” Emory said.