Halloween is nearly here and time to knock on those doors for those tasty treats that get handed out each year.
Amid the fun, some safety precautions should be taken. Safe Kids Kansas has offered several safety tips for parents and their little ghouls. In a press release, Safe Kids Kansas stated that Halloween is the most dangerous day of the year for child pedestrians. Children are four times more likely to be killed while walking on Halloween than any other night of the year.
“Parents need to remind kids about safety while walking before they go out trick-or-treating,” said Jan Stegelman, coordinator of Safe Kids Kansas. “Children should also bring flashlights or glow sticks with them, carry reflective bags or have reflective tape on their costumes and not wear masks which may inhibit their ability to see hazards.”
Drivers also should be more careful during Halloween.
“Drivers can do their part by being especially careful in residential neighborhoods,” Stegelman said. “Slow down and look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.”
Parents should remind kids to:
- Cross streets safely. Cross at a corner, using traffic signals or crosswalks.
- Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
- Be a safe pedestrian around cars. Watch out for cars that are turning or backing up.
Other tips:
- Trick-or-treaters should be accompanied by an adult or travel in a group.
- Warn children not to eat any unwrapped candy or treats until they return home, where their parents can inspect them. Making certain that children already have eaten before trick-or-treating may help them curb the urge for early treats.
- Parents may want to limit children to attending events held at trusted locations, such as firehouses, senior citizen centers, local businesses or schools, churches and other sites.