Trick Or Treat? Ensuring Your Child’s Safety This Halloween October 27, 2016.

According to the Safe Kids Worldwide research, children are twice as likely to be killed by a car while walking on Halloween night than at any other time of year. So what can you do to keep your child safe during this highly anticipated holiday?

Here are a number of basic safety guidelines:

• 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.
• 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.

Due to the excitement surrounding Halloween, it is easy to become distracted and let down your guard. Being aware of the hazards allows you and your loved ones to enjoy this exciting holiday for years to come. Teach your kids about Halloween safety and it might just end up saving them from a tragic event.