Happy Halloween Safety Tips
Did you know that 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? According to Smart911 a company dedicated to home, personal, and pet safety recommends 5 halloween safety tips to prevent tragedy this Halloween season.
1. Take a digital photo of your kids. It is important to have a recent and detailed description in the event of an emergency.
2. Make sure your child’s costume is safe. Is the fabric fire retardant? Does their mask have proper eye, nose and mouth openings? Can they walk easily in it?
3. Use a buddy system. If you are headed out with a group, make sure there is a buddy system in place. It’s easy for a child to get left behind or mixed up in with other groups.
4. Know who your kids are trick or treating with. Exchange phone numbers with your child’s friends and their parents. In the event of an emergency, you can notify them.
5. Sign up for Smart911 at www.smart911.com to give valuable information, and pet information that will automatically display on the 9-1-1 call takers screen when you dial 9-1-1.
Smart911 is a an organization who has teamed up with several dispatch and sheriff offices in providing vital personal and pet information on the 9-1-1 call screen when a 9-1-1 call is made. What a great tool to use.
For those of you trick-or-treating this year with children under 8, SafeKids.org has some additional tips for you.
Walk Safely
- Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
- Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
- Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
- Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
- Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to
- the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
- Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
Trick or Treat With an Adult
- Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.
Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe
- Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
- Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.
- Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
- When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls.
Drive Extra Safely on Halloween
- Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
- Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.
- Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
- Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
- Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
- Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours.
– See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/halloween-safety-tips#sthash.kLThPzm2.dpuf
I hope you and your family have a fun and safe Halloween.
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