Halloween Safety Tips for Parents and Children

As the day for trick or treating approaches, the idea of safety should be on the minds of all, especially parents of small children.

You may not know this, but the United States Department of Transportation has issued statistics, which demonstrate that the majority of fatal collisions between motor vehicles and young pedestrians (under 15 years of age) happen most frequently between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (i.e., during trick or treating hours!)

Also, 84% of deaths among young pedestrians occurred at non-intersection locations (indicating children are most likely to dart and dash from mid-block into the street).

Halloween also sees more than its share of automobile accidents because of the number of parties that take place (with alcohol being consumed).

Shockingly, of all the highway fatalities that take place on Halloween, approximately two-thirds of them are alcohol related.

These are certainly sobering numbers and may have you thinking about staying home instead of exposing your children to any harm.

However, by exercising some good common sense, everything will be just fine.

After reviewing the previously mentioned statistics, as well as a number of websites devoted to Halloween safety, I compiled the following list of tips, which I hope that everyone will follow.

For a safe and enjoyable trick or treating experience,

-Don't let the excitement of Halloween allow your children to ignore the normal safety precautions: look both ways before crossing the street; cross in a crosswalk or at a corner (do not walk into the street between parked cars); walk on the sidewalk; do not talk to strangers; do not go into homes or cars of people they do not know; and do not approach animals they do not know.

-Make sure children know their name, phone number and address and to provide this information to a police officer in an emergency or if they are lost.

-Younger children should have an adult with them while older children should provide their route and when they expect to return. If possible, provide a cell phone for your children.

-Children should only visit homes that have their porch lights on.

-Inspect your children's candy before they eat it. Although food tampering is rare, it's safest to eat only those candies that are individually wrapped and not homemade, unless you know the families who have prepared the homemade treats.

-Have flashlights or glowsticks for children and/or for the accompanying adult.

-Adults are reminded not to drink alcohol and drive. In fact, it is safest to save the cocktails until after everyone is safe at home.

When selecting costumes for the little ones:

-Make sure your child's Halloween costume is made with fire retardant materials and has eye holes large enough for your child to safely see out of. The costume should be short enough so it doesn't interfere with walking.

-If your child carries an accessory, such as a fake sword, make sure it is made from a flexible material such as rubber, so it cannot injure your child or others.

-Provide a costume that uses bright color or use reflective tape, so your child can be seen clearly by drivers and other trick-or-treating families.

-Consider using makeup on children?s faces instead of a mask to allow the child to see clearly.

If all of these tips are followed, then everyone will have a much safer and ultimately enjoyable Halloween.

Be safe!