Halloween Safety

Focusing on safety on Halloween will ensure both parents and children are happy.

With Halloween just around the corner, countless anxious children await this magical day, filled with costumes, fun and most of all, candy. But, should parents be worried about their children Trick or Treating? While there are some obvious concerns, there’s a lot you can do to ensure your child's night is filled with treats, not tricks. Here are some tips:

• Accompany children aged 12 and under, or make sure they are with a trusted adult
  
• Visit houses with porch lights on
  
• Ensure costumes are safe and do not detract from hearing or seeing
  
• Carry a flashlight
  
• Walk, facing traffic, on well lit sidewalks and use caution before crossing the street
  
• Check your child’s treats before they eat any

If you plan on driving through a neighborhood, be sure to:

• Drive slowly and watch for trick-or-treaters on foot
  
• Don’t drive distracted- no cell phones, eating, drinking, etc.
  
• Stay alert for kids suddenly running out into the street

Safe Kids recently conducted a study on Halloween safety. According to their findings, only about a third of parents talk to their children annually about Halloween safety. Shockingly, the survey found that 12 percent of children five or younger were allowed to trick-or-treat alone! Since twice as many child pedestrians get killed on Halloween than an average night, do the right thing by supervising the night.

Have you talked to your kids about Halloween safety this year? Share tips with other parents by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.