Everyone wants to have a safe and happy Halloween for themselves, their guests and especially their children. Using safety tips and common sense can help you make the most of your Halloween season, keeping it as enjoyable for your kids as it is for you! There are a lot of simple ways to help keep your child safe on Halloween, when accidents and injuries are more likely to occur.
Walk Safely
1. Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
2. Look left, right, and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
3. Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
4. Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
5. Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
6. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
Trick or Treat with an Adult
1. Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.
Keep Costumes Creative and Safe
1. Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
2. Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
3. Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
4. Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as, “one size fits all,” or “no need to see an eye specialist,” obtaining decorative contact lenses without a prescription is dangerous and can cause pain.
For You
1. Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
2. Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians, and on curbs.
3. Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
4. Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
5. Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
6. Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:00pm to 9:00pm so be especially alert for kids during those hours.
7. Review with children how to call 9-1-1 or their local emergency number if they ever have an emergency or become lost.
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