Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween, but not when it comes to child safety. We all want children to experience the joys of Halloween in the safest possible manner. There are several easy and effective precautions that parents can share with kids to help reduce their risk of injury. Whether you are staying in for the night or heading out for some trick-or-treating, make sure you review these quick safety tips to prevent something scary from happening.
Safe Kids Worldwide™ recommends the following Halloween safety tips:
If you’re staying in:
- Make sure the porch light is on and the entrance is well lit. Accidents happen, and your front door is not where you want one. Additionally, check driveways for anything that could potentially cause someone to trip and fall.
- Make an effort to periodically check outside to make sure nothing spooky is going on.
- Make sure your car is in the garage or covered parking spot (if you have one). Kids are more prone to be egged on into doing mischievous things on Halloween.
- Popular trick-or-treat hours are between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., so be ready for trick-or-treaters, and stay attentive during those hours.
If you’re going out:
- Cross the street at corners and avoid cutting across the middle of a street at all costs.
- Look left, right, and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
- Put electronic devices down, keep heads up, and walk—don’t run—across the street.
- Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
- 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.
- 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. 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.
- ALWAYS check your children’s candy prior to them consuming it. Children should know not to snack on their treats while out trick-or-treating.
Also:
- Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
- Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.
- Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
- When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls.
When Driving on Halloween:
- Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
- Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians, and on curbs.
- Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
- Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
- Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
Be sure to take a few minutes and review these Halloween safety tips before beginning festivities. From everyone here at Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, have a wonderful and safe Halloween! Contact us today for more tips. Our office hours range from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and we also answer our phones at 844-977-1900 24/7. You can reach us through our online form or our LiveChat service. So don’t wait!