Halloween can be a fun night for children. However, you want to ensure the night is full of treats, without any tricks that can turn hazardous. Taking the time to plan ahead of time and follow safety tips can help to ensure that you and your children are safe while they are out in the dark trick-or-treating. Here are five Halloween safety tips we hope you will follow.
Go Trick-or-Treating In Groups
One of the best ways to stay safe this Halloween is to go trick-or-treating in groups. Large groups are easier for cars to spot out, helping to avoid an accident. Large groups also are a deterrent to anyone who may be looking to create trouble on Halloween. All groups should also have at least one group present, and you should be trick-or-treating in an area they are familiar with to help avoid getting lost or disoriented.
Have a Flashlight and Only Go to Well-Lit Homes
Another tip to help you stay safe while trick-or-treating is to carry and use a flashlight and only go to well-lit homes. Carrying a flashlight helps your group to see any tripping hazards that might be present, while also allowing motorists to see your group. Sticking to well-lit houses also helps to avoid tripping or slipping hazards, while also ensuring your group is sticking to homes who are actively passing out candy and partaking in the festivities.
Wear Reflective Clothing
One of the dangers that you and your children face while out trick-or-treating is motorists not seeing you. Many costumes are dark in color, and unfortunately, they can blend into the darkness. Placing reflective tape on the back of dark costumes helps motorists to see you and your children, without deterring from the look of the costume. This helps to keep you safe when you are crossing the street at intersections without crosswalks or where motorists may not be looking for people.
Select a Costume That Won't Be a Safety Hazard
Prior to Halloween, you will be looking for a costume for yourself or your children. When you are looking at costumes, consider the safety of the costume. Is the costume long and will it drag on the ground? If so, that can be a tripping hazard, especially for a young child who may not be used to longer garments. Does the costume have a mask? If it does, make sure your child can see properly out of the mask. There's a lot of walking involved in trick-or-treating, and there are a lot of hazards associated with masks that do not properly fit and/or allow people to see out of them.
Check Your Child's Candy Before Eating It
The last tip to help keep your kids safe on Halloween is to check all of your child's candy before allowing them to eat any of it. If candy appears to have been opened, is not in its original packaging, or appears to be tampered with in any way, it is best to err on the side of caution and throw the treat out.
Sign Up For Smart911
Sign up for Smart911 at www.smart911.com to give valuable information about yourself, family members, bedroom locations, utility shut off information, and pet information that will automatically display on the 9-1-1 call taker's screen when you dial 9-1-1.
At Montgomery County Emergency Communication District, or MCECD, we provide the administration of the communications and technology infrastructure of the 9-1-1 system within Montgomery County, Texas. Our goal is to keep the community safe, and we hope that the above tips help to keep you and your family safe on Halloween. Happy Halloween!
