About twice as many kids and teenagers are hit by cars and killed on Halloween than other days of the year. That doesn’t mean that your child should be forced to sit at home while everyone else is out trick or treating. Following some basic safety guidelines can greatly reduce the risk that your child will be hit by a car or suffer other accidents.
- Use reflective tape and stickers. Put them on costumes or coats and treat bags.
- Make sure that each child has a flashlight or glow stick.
- If possible, choose makeup over masks. It is less likely to impair your child’s vision.
- If a mask is used, make sure it fits well and does not impede your child’s vision.
- Kids, and the parents who are supervising them, should stay off the phone and should not text while out trick or treating. If you absolutely must talk or text, stop walking and find a safe place where you won’t be impeding traffic, including other trick-or-treaters on foot.
- If travelling by car, kids should get out on the curb side of the vehicle, not on the street side.
- Good sturdy shoes that fir properly are a must, even if they don’t match the costume.
- Only go to houses with the porch light on. Turning the porch light off is the universal signal that trick-or-treaters are not welcome.
- Follow safe practices for crossing the street. Always look both ways before crossing and never dart out into the road unexpectedly.
- Kids should only accept candy that is commercially wrapped, and should wait to eat their candy until parents can inspect it.
- Make sure you’ve got a charged cell phone on you in case there is a car accident.
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