Halloween is one of the most exciting holidays of the year for children of all ages. Everyone wants to ensure Halloween safety for themselves, their children, and their guests. Whether you’re tricking or treating, accidents can happen at any time and sometimes through no fault of your own. The good news is that there are many simple precautions you can take to help ensure the trick or treat safety of your kids and fellow revelers. Below are some valuable Halloween safety tips from the personal injury attorneys at Lerner and Rowe.
Haunted House, Not Hazard House
For homeowners that are expecting many visitors for Halloween, the first step in trick or treat safety is to check your property. You want to make sure that any guests will not encounter any dangers if they are approaching your home. Limit the probability of slip and fall injuries by clearing the area around your door. Further, remove any stray objects that people can trip over.
Be sure to keep walkways clear of obstacles. If leaves are still falling, sweep up the path to your door. Do not leave breakable objects out; ceramic items such as potted plants or decorations have the potential to break and cut a Halloween visitor. Additionally, make sure to keep the area outside your home well lit and use electric candles to reduce the danger of uncontrolled fires and burn injuries.
Taking Candy from Strangers
All year long, you tell your children not to take candy from strangers–unless it’s October 31! A vital part of Halloween safety is examining the candy collected by your child for signs of tampering and throwing it away if you have any suspicions at all. Also, throw away any homemade, opened, or bare treats unless your child received them from a person known to you. If your child has allergies, check the ingredients and try to minimize treats that you know contain those allergens from being collected.
Maximize Lighting For Maximum Trick or Treat Safety
Stay on well lit streets and don’t allow your children to approach houses alone. Instruct your child not to go into any home without your permission. If a house isn’t well lit inside and outside then skip that one.
To stay safely away from traffic and avoid a pedestrian accident, remain on sidewalks and carry glow sticks or flashlights to make sure motorists can see you and your children. Additionally, it is important that you teach your child to never approach a vehicle, even if it appears that no one is inside.
Further, your child should never attempt to take short cuts or travel on unfamiliar routes, especially if they are not well lit.
Costumes for Spooking, Not Scaring
An appropriate costume is an important part of Halloween safety. Make sure your child’s costume and shoes fit well. It should not constrict their movement or hearing, nor impede their ability to breathe.
Also, do not allow them to wear fabric that is long enough to trip on, or shoes that are unsteady for running around in the dark. Instead of wearing masks, use hypoallergenic makeup so your child’s vision is not impaired. If you do allow your child to wear a mask, make sure that he or she can see and breathe properly while wearing it.
Trick or Treat Safety Means Maximizing Communication
All children trick-or-treating should carry a cell phone in case of separation. They should also know their home phone number and understand what to do in case there is a Halloween safety emergency.
If someone should try and grab your child, they should be taught to yell, “This person is trying to take me!” or, “This is not my parent!” instead of just screaming as if they are having a tantrum. Lastly, you and your child should both be aware of your surroundings and on the alert for unusual activities.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer
The staff at Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys wishes you and your family a safe and happy Halloween. Please follow the safety tips above to maximize your family’s trick or treat safety. Unfortunately, some accidents can happen no matter how cautious you’re being. If you or your children have been injured on Halloween due to another party’s actions or inactions then contact us for immediate assistance.
The team at Lerner and Rowe is available to assist you 24/7. You can reach us by phone at 844-977-1900 and online by filling out this secure contact form or speaking with our LiveChat representatives. Our accomplished attorneys are known for recovering billions for our clients across the country while treating them with the respect they deserve. For the results you want combined with the treatment you’re entitled to, Lerner and Rowe is the way to go.