It’s that time of year when kids of all ages and sizes look forward to the fun of Halloween. What fun memories do you have about Halloween? Trick or treating? Carving the pumpkin? Dunking for apples at a party?
With the fun and activities of Halloween come some inherent dangers as well. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), kids love the magic of Halloween: Trick-or-treating, classroom parties and trips to a neighborhood haunted house. But for moms and dads, often there is a fine line between Halloween fun and safety concerns, especially when it comes to road and pedestrian safety.
In 2017, 7,450 pedestrians died in traffic or non-traffic incidents, according to Injury Facts. Non-traffic incidents include those occurring on driveways, in parking lots or on private property. NSC research reveals almost 18% of these deaths occurred at road crossings or intersections. Lack of visibility because of low lighting at night also plays a factor in these deaths.
Here’s a scary statistic: Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. In 2017, October ranked No. 2 in motor vehicle deaths by month, with 3,700. July is No. 1, with 3,830 deaths.
So, what can parents do to keep their little goblins and ghouls safe? There are several things to keep in mind.
When talking costumes consider the following:
- All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant.
- Avoid masks, which can obstruct vision.
- If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags, or give them a flashlight or glow sticks.
- When buying Halloween makeup, make sure it is nontoxic and always test it in a small area first.
- Remove all makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation.
If trick-or-treaters are out searching for goodies after dark or by themselves:
- A responsible adult should accompany young children on the neighborhood rounds.
- If your older children are going alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you.
- Agree on a specific time when children should return home.
- Teach your children never to enter a stranger’s home or car.
- Instruct children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with their friends.
- Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home, and you have had a chance to inspect them.
- Children and adults are reminded to put electronic devices down! Keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
- Give kids a flashlight or glow stick to help make them more visible at night.
If you are out driving on the roads, be a responsible motorist and be on the lookout for trick-or-treaters. Kids can get caught up in the excitement of the hunt for goodies and when least expected dart across the road. The National Safety Council (NSC) suggests these tips for drivers:
- Watch children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
- Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully. Always check behind your vehicle before coming out of a parking space.
- At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing. Kids should wear reflective costumes or clothing, but many do not so BE AWARE!
- Discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween.
Another area of safety you need to consider are the items you use to decorate your home. Here are some suggestions to help make your home more fire safe and possibly avoid a tragedy:
- Dried flowers, corn stalks and crepe paper can catch fire easily. If you use any of these items around your home make sure you keep them away from an open heat source like a candle, light bulb or heaters.
- Glowing jack-o-lanterns are a big part of Halloween decorations. Never use a lit, real candle inside a jack-o-lantern. The best and safest thing to use is a battery powered candle. They don’t overheat and can’t cause a fire to start if the jack-o-lantern gets toppled over.
- Keep exit doors clear of all decorations so any escape route isn’t blocked.
- Make sure you test your smoke alarms to be sure they are in proper working order.
Need more Halloween safety tips? Contact AZ Safety Solutions at (520) 838-4508 or via email at info@azsafetysolutions.com.
AZ Safety Solutions is Firefighter/EMT owned safety education company dedicated to providing the community we serve the very best in safety education. Our instructors have a combined 85(+) years of field emergency response and teaching experience.