Halloween is one of the most-loved holidays for all ages. However, with many festivities happening after dark on this day, it’s also one of the most dangerous!
Here are a few tricks to keep you and your family safe on this ghoulish fall day:
1. Costumes
- Be sure that your child’s costume is bright and reflective so that he or she can be more visible to motorists at night.
- The costume should be an appropriate length so it doesn’t pose any tripping hazards.
- Make sure your child can easily see and breathe while wearing a mask.
- Carefully check Halloween makeup to be sure it’s non-toxic.
- Costumes, wigs, and other accessories should be flame-resistant.
2. Pumpkin carving
- Do not allow young children to carve pumpkins on their own.
- Rather than using an actual candle inside your pumpkin, consider using a flashlight, LED candle, or glow stick.
- If using a real candle, don’t set the pumpkin next to anything flammable and keep it on a level surface.
3. Candy and sweet treats
- Carefully check your child’s candy and treat pile for any tampering.
- Throw away any treats that are already open or look questionable.
- Monitor how much your child is eating and try to ration the treats over several days, not several hours!
4. Trick-or-treaters
- Remove tripping hazards from your yard so trick-or-treaters don’t injure themselves.
- Put pets away so they don’t jump out and bite or frighten anyone.
- Sweep wet leaves and debris away from your front porch, stairs, driveway, and sidewalk so the surfaces can easily be seen.
- When purchasing goodies to hand out, be mindful of children with food allergies. As an alternative, you may consider handing out small coloring books, crayons, or trinkets.
Halloween road safety tips
According to the National Safety Council, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween. To keep little ones safe while traveling from home-to-home to get sweet treats, be sure a responsible adult walks with them.
If you have older kids who don’t think it’s “cool” to have an adult walk with them, stress to them that they should only follow a neighborhood route that you have approved. Be sure you have gone over basic safety rules, such as not getting in a car with strangers and only walking on well-lit paths in familiar areas. Check in on the kids often and set a curfew for when they should be home.
As a driver on the roads, be sure to watch for children who are walking or darting out from sidewalks, driveways, or medians.
With these tips in mind, we hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!