Scarily easy tips for a safer Halloween

Ah, Halloween. That wonderful time of year when there’s a chill in the air, the leaves are changing and the streets are filled with little goblins hyped up on sugar.

With trick-or-treat night pending in many cities across the nation, it’s a good time to check off the list of safety dos and don’ts, including some of the basics that we take for granted from year to year.

Halloween3Tricked out togs

  • Work chem lights (aka glow sticks), LED strips or reflective tape into a costume wherever possible
  • Avoid masks that can obstruct vision

Groups of goblins

  • Kids under age 12 should be accompanied by an adult
  • Ensure large groups have an adequate adult-to-child ratio
  • Review safety rules with older, unaccompanied children before they leave the house

 

Trolling for treasures

  • If you’re in an area with no sidewalks, make sure your entire group stays as far to the left as possible, facing oncoming traffic
  • Make sure to cross only at corners, looking both ways before crossing and using applicable traffic signals
  • If a vehicle is in the intersection, do your best to make eye contact with the driver before crossing in front of them
  • Be extra aware of vehicles that are going in reverse

Halloween2

Motoring through the monsters

  • Drive slowly and turn your headlights on earlier than you might usually do so
  • Be mindful of your city’s designated trick-or-treating hours, understanding that kids won’t stop just because the assigned hours end
  • Allow for extra time to arrive at your destination
  • Treat neighborhood streets on Halloween night like active school zones

While jumping from behind a bush to scare your friends may be funny, jumping out from behind a parked car could prove to be dangerous. It’s important to have fun, but it’s equally important to do so safely.

For more great safety tips this Halloween, visit Safe Kids Worldwide.

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